At least 7 dead in crash on I-5 south of Salem

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At least seven adults have died and more are injured in a crash on Interstate 5 between Salem and Albany Thursday afternoon, according to the Oregon State Police.

The crash happened shortly after 2 p.m. in the northbound lanes near milepost 241, which is the Santiam River Rest Area.

Police say two semi-trucks and a passenger van were involved in the crash, but the cause of the crash is still undetermined.

The white Ford passenger van at the scene was severely crushed. Straw sun hats and shovels can be seen among the wreckage.

A Target semi-truck at the scene had damage to its rear end, and a black semi-truck with tarps covering the sides also appeared to be part of the crash scene.

A witness at the crash site said it appeared that the van had been crushed between the two semis from in front and behind.

“Judging by the damage, it looked like the van was sandwiched,” Adrian Gonzalez said. “It got hit very hard.”

He described two helicopters from Lifeflight Air Medical Services landing nearby and taking people from the scene while paramedics treated others at the scene.

One lane of Northbound Interstate 5 remains closed, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation and Marion County Sheriff's Office. Traffic on the open lane remained slow.

Traffic backups as a result of various detours were also reported on I-5 southbound, South River Road and in West Salem.

According to Oregon Department of Transportation data, 159 people have died in traffic crashes in Oregon so far this year. In 2022, 600 people died in crashes in Oregon.