Pedestrian killed, another critically injured in NE Salem
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A collision early Saturday morning on Northeast Silverton Road left one pedestrian dead and another hospitalized, according to the Salem Police Department.
Just after 2 a.m., a pickup truck driver struck two adults near Northeast Highway Avenue. Both pedestrians were taken to Salem Hospital, Salem police said in a news release.
Raymond Dale, 77, died from his injuries. The police statement did not list his city of residence.
The second pedestrian, Ephraim Dale, 49, of Salem, remained hospitalized with critical injuries as of Saturday afternoon. A third pedestrian, a 17-year-old girl, “was traveling with them and witnessed the crash,” according to the statement.
The road was closed for several hours while police and the Salem Fire Department investigated the crash.
The three pedestrians were in the westbound lane of Silverton Road, east of the intersection with Highway Avenue, according to Salem police spokeswoman Angela Hedrick.
The truck driver, Eugene Ensinger, 63, of Salem, stayed at the scene.
“The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation,” Salem police said.
The agency provided no other details about the collision.
Raymond Dale was the third person to have died in a crash in Salem this year, according to the statement.
Salem police in 2024 responded to a record 21 fatal crashes.
Traffic safety will be a focus of the agency’s strategic plan for 2025-27, which it plans to release at the end of March. The plan will include having all Salem patrol officers focus on traffic enforcement, not just those assigned to a department traffic team.
This story was updated after Salem police provided additional information about where the crash occurred.
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.
