UPDATE: 1 person dies in crash, I-5 traffic delayed south of Kuebler
A fatal collision on Interstate 5 near Kuebler Boulevard in Salem shut down southbound traffic before one lane was reopened Saturday afternoon.
One driver was involved in the collision, which police suspect was a suicide, according to Cpt. Kyle Kennedy, Oregon State Police spokesman.
One lane was reopened just south of the Kuebler interchange around 3:45 p.m. “Emergency responders may need to close that lane again at some point this afternoon,” according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The state agency said in a statement that it didn’t know when the southbound freeway lanes will completely reopen.
“Please use an alternate route, delay your trip if possible or expect an extended delay. If you are traveling in the south Salem area, please slow down and watch out for heavy traffic and for emergency responders,” ODOT said.
Find up-to-date information about I-5 traffic conditions on Oregon TripCheck.
This story was updated after the Oregon State Police provided additional information about the collision.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered the justice system and public safety 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.
