Passenger Dies After Plunge Off Cliff

A passenger in a car that plummeted 275 over a cliff in northeast Portland died following surgery for head injuries.

Oliver Smith, 22, of Portland died early Saturday at Legacy Emanuel Hospital. Smith had been a passenger in a car driven by John Shannon, who was treated for multiple abrasions and released.

It took Portland Fire Bureau paramedics two hours to rescue the men from the cliffside Friday. The car hurtled through a patch of large boulders and trees and then rolled down the cliff.

The cause of the wreck was under investigation, but police said they suspected alcohol and excessive speed were factors.