A driver struck and killed a Salem man Monday night as he walked across Northeast Lancaster Drive, the Salem Police Department announced in a news release.
Emergency responders were called around 10 p.m. to the street’s 2000 block just north of Northeast Sunnyview Road, where a man had been struck by the driver of a sedan. The pedestrian, Ronald B. Olbekson, 64, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police determined that Olbekson was walking east across Lancaster Drive outside the marked crosswalk when he was struck by the car, which was traveling north.
The driver, Daniel C. Gaytan, 20, and a 16-year-old passenger were not injured in the collision.
“Gaytan remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation. No citations have been issued or an arrest made as the investigation is ongoing,” according to the news release.
Lancaster Drive was closed to drivers headed north and south for almost four hours as police investigated the collision.
This year, Salem police have investigated 11 fatal traffic collisions resulting in 12 deaths, according to the police statement.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
