According to the Oregon State Police, a collision on Interstate 5 between Salem and Albany on Thursday afternoon resulted in at least seven adult fatalities and further injuries.
Just after 2:00 p.m., a collision occurred in the northbound lanes close to milepost 241, or the Santiam River Rest Area.
Two semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle were involved in the collision, according to the police, although the exact cause of the collision is yet unknown.
At the site, a white Ford passenger van was badly damaged. Shovels and straw sun hats are among the debris.
The tweet below confirms the news:
#BREAKING: At least 7 dead, multiple injured in multi-vehicle crash on I-5 in Oregon, State police say
Statement: pic.twitter.com/ScVJ3a7eON
— Hexdline (@HexdlineNews) May 19, 2023
Van Crushed in Triple Semi-Truck Collision
The rear end of a Target semi-truck was damaged at the site, and it appeared that a black semi-truck with tarps covering the sides was also involved in the collision.
The van appeared to have been crushed between the two semis from the front and the back, according to a witness at the scene of the collision.
According to the damage, the van appeared to have been sandwiched, Adrian Gonzalez said. “It took a very hard hit.”
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He described two Lifeflight Air Medical Services helicopters landing nearby and transporting patients away from the site as paramedics attended to other patients there.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation, one lane of northbound Interstate 5 is still closed. The open lane’s traffic remained slow.
On I-5 southbound, South River Road, and in West Salem, there were additional reports of traffic delays brought on by numerous detours.
Data from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows that this year, 159 individuals have died in car accidents in Oregon. 600 people died in collisions in Oregon in 2022.
As we receive any additional information regarding this news, we will notify you. In the interim, you can read the most recent news updates relating to other topics by following our Twitter account.
