A 27-year-old man, Mark Steven Sewell, died after his motorcycle veered off the Center Street Bridge in Salem, Oregon on April 18.
According to the Salem Police Department, Sewell was traveling east when he collided with a concrete barrier, causing him to be ejected from the bridge and fall nearly 30 feet to the ground below.
Sewell was pronounced dead at the scene. The southbound off-ramp to Front Street was subsequently closed for over two hours to allow for a thorough investigation. This latest incident marks the ninth traffic-related fatality in Salem this year, highlighting a concerning trend in local road safety.
This accident follows closely on the heels of another fatal event last week, where 22-year-old David Joel Luna perished after his Honda collided with a Mercedes. The accident occurred near the same bridge at the intersection of Kuebler Boulevard Southeast and Battle Creek Road Southeast, striking an electricity utility box and resulting in extensive power outages that affected the area for more than a day.
Also, in March, another traffic death was reported involving 33-year-old Joshua Noel Guerra on Kuebler Boulevard. Guerra failed to stop at a red light and collided with an SUV, underscoring persistent issues in traffic management and road safety observance.
The repeated incidents in Salem are reflective of a wider national crisis, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting road traffic crashes as a leading cause of death among Americans aged one to 54. The Department of Transportation noted that in 2022, there were 42,514 deaths due to motor vehicle traffic crashes in the U.S., signaling an urgent need for effective safety interventions.
In response to the escalating number of traffic-related fatalities, the Salem Police Department has introduced several initiatives aimed at improving road safety. These include the availability of online tools for the public to report traffic violations and the deployment of radar reading boards intended to deter speeding and encourage safer driving habits.
Local authorities remain committed to investigating each traffic incident thoroughly, striving to implement robust safety measures that will prevent future tragedies. Community members are urged to participate actively in these safety initiatives by adhering to traffic laws and utilizing the available resources to report any concerns about road conditions or driver behaviors.
