Horror in Portland as 'disgruntled former employee' crashes into athletics club in car 'packed with EXPLOSIVES'

Published: 20:13, 2 May 2026 | Updated: 20:29, 2 May 2026 A horror scene unfolded overnight in Oregon after a driver crashed into an athletic club and caught fire, before authorities found evidence of an explosive device inside.  An unidentified driver, believed to be a former employee of the club, drove through the front entrance of the Multnomah Athletic Club in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland on Saturday, according to the Portland Police Department.  The incident occurred just before 3am. The driver's vehicle caught fire, and authorities rushed to control the flames.  The driver was then discovered to have died. The Explosive Disposal Unit later uncovered evidence of an explosive device.  Multiple streets in the area were closed amid the active investigation. Multnomah released a statement that the club would be closed until further notice 'following a significant incident.'  'All programs, services, and scheduled activities are canceled,' the club added.  Two law enforcement sources told The Oregonian that the driver was a former 'disgruntled employee' of the club.  One of the sources added that investigators believe the employee rented a black Nissan Rogue on Friday to drive it into the building before setting off a series of explosive devices.  A 'former disgruntled employee' reportedly crashed into a Portland athletics club overnight on Saturday  Police shut down several blocks near the crash during the investigation. Caution tape was also seen near the club  The explosives were believed to be a mix of propane tanks and pipe bombs. Only some detonated, and authorities distinguished the blaze, according to The Oregonian.  One of the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the building's ground floor was 'completely destroyed' and sustained 'millions of dollars in damages.'  Club management notified members via email that no employees were injured in the incident and advised them to steer clear of the premises until further notice.  Photos after the crash, shared by local Fox affiliate, KPTV, showed caution tape surrounding the club.  Bizarrely, this is not the first time a car has crashed into the Multnomah this month. On April 8, a driver sideswiped a car and veered into the club's property.  A security guard walking on the sidewalk suffered a lower leg injury. Photos of the scene depicted a grey vehicle lodged under a metal staircase on top of a planter box.  Police said at the time that they did not suspect the crash was a result of criminal activity. It does not appear that the two instances are related.  This is a breaking news story... The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.