A multi-vehicle crash on Thursday afternoon, May 18, on Interstate 5 in a farming region of western Oregon resulted in seven fatalities, with four others sustaining injuries, according to local authorities.
The Oregon State Police released a statement indicating that officers responded to the collision, which occurred around 2:05 pm in the northbound lanes, approximately seven miles north of Albany.
The police have confirmed the deaths of seven adults and four people were injured. The victims were identified as Mexican farm workers.
According to the Albany Democrat-Herald, the collision involved a van and two semi-trucks.
The driver of the semi-truck who crashed into the van, Lincoln Clayton Smith, 52, of North Highlands, California, was arrested on several charges including manslaughter and reckless driving, according to Oregon police. He was allegedly driving intoxicated.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing bodies covered in plastic scattered across a nearby field. A Life Flight helicopter left the area around 2:45 pm.
To protect onlookers from the distressing scene, authorities used a blue tarp to cover the van wreckage and placed a barrier near one of the trucks.
Adrian Gonzalez, a witness, informed another outlet that the van appeared to be significantly crushed between the two trucks, suggesting a severe impact.
Paramedics attended to injured individuals on the scene, and two Life Flight helicopters landed to transport others needing immediate medical attention.
After thorough investigations and the clearance of the crash site, the northbound lanes of I-5 were reopened to traffic on Thursday evening.
The residents of Albany, situated between Salem and Eugene and roughly 70 miles south of Portland, have been deeply impacted by this tragic incident.
Data from Oregon’s Transportation Department shows that so far in 2023, traffic crashes in the state have claimed 159 lives, with 600 fatalities recorded in 2022.