‘My brothers go there every day to work out’: Chris Sullivan reacts to deadly, fiery crash at Portland athletic club

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are now assisting Portland Police in an investigation after a person drove a rented SUV through the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland on Saturday. Police say investigators also found evidence of an explosive device inside the car.

KIRO Newsradio’s Chris Sullivan knows the club well after spending time there as a teenager.

“My brothers go there every day to work out,” Sullivan explained. “It’s one of the older, more kind of pristine clubs. My dad actually moved into the MAC club coming out of college, because it started out as, like, a male dorm slash men’s club.”

Club employees saw vehicle circling building before it crashed, burst into flames

The crash happened just before 3 a.m. at one of the largest private athletic and social clubs in the country, with more than 21,000 members.

“If you wonder why the person, if you’ve seen the video, driving through the glass … and you wonder why the person just didn’t tear into it, because you can’t,” Sullivan explained. “There’s the street, and then you have to make a really sharp turn. There’s this little, tiny, roundabout where you just drop people off, and it’s all glass, and then the parking lot is across the street.”

According to the Portland Police Bureau, the driver was found dead inside the vehicle after the fire was extinguished.

Club employees told police they saw the vehicle moving slowly around the building before it crashed. Moments later, it was engulfed in flames, prompting a 911 call.

First responders from Portland Fire & Rescue and police arrived to find the burning vehicle and the deceased occupant inside.

Federal response heightened by May Day timing, club’s location near Providence Park

Authorities said additional public safety resources — including local and federal agencies — were deployed as a precaution, citing the timing shortly after May Day and the club’s proximity to Providence Park.

A club spokesperson said the crash occurred while the facility was closed and confirmed that no staff or members were injured.

“I was just texting with my brother. He’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s just driving down the corridor, you know, just right there.’ Very, very disturbing,” Sullivan said.

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