This story was updated at 3:15 p.m. with additional information from Salem police.
A driver died in a collision around 8 a.m. Tuesday morning on Highway 22 just east of Salem, according to the Salem Police Department.
Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle drive off the roadway and crash. A preliminary investigation by Salem police determined that after crossing a highway on ramp, the vehicle drove off the road and hit a tree.
Responders to the scene tried to save the driver’s life, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver was the only occupant in the vehicle, and his identity is not being released due to notifying family members, a statement Tuesday afternoon from Salem police said.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, the statement said.
Police closed all but one lane on Highway 22 East where the crash occurred, the Salem agency said on X this morning. Gaffin Road was also closed, including the on-ramp that heads east onto the highway. The closures lasted around three hours.
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.
