West Salem student who died in Tuesday crash was known for his empathy and ambition
Elijah Jung, an incoming senior at West Salem High School, died in a car crash in a rural area outside of West Salem on Tuesday, July 29.
He had been driving east on Northwest Gibson Road around six miles outside of West Salem when his car left the road and struck a tree, according to Sgt. Tyrone Jenkins of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash happened after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night and was reported at 5:43 a.m. the next morning.
He’ll be honored at a vigil scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at the crash site, 4523 Gibson Rd. N.W. People are invited to attend and bring a candle or flower to remember Elijah, according to a family statement sent by Dayna Jung. The sheriff’s office will be directing traffic for the vigil, and parking will be available at Eola-Amity Hills’ nearby vineyard.
“He was supposed to be, he was destined to be a very great man in this world. This should have never happened,” said his mother in an interview.
He turned 17 last week.
Signs at the scene indicated Elijah had been speeding ahead of the crash, Jenkins said. The curves where the crash happened were a 25 mph zone. The Oregon State Police was still investigating the crash as of Friday morning.
Jung said in the days since the crash, she’s learned about the impact that her son had on the community.
“He was a great kid. Very ambitious. Now that I hear his friends, and hear about the good things he did for them that we never knew about … I’m thinking Elijah was not boastful … he was humble,” she said.
She said her son was a role model who always showed up for a friend in need, and was someone his friends knew they could confide in.
“They knew that if they called late at night, saying ‘I’m struggling with this,’ he would be there with them,” Jung said.
She said Elijah was smart, loved his dogs and was also athletic. He frequented the YMCA and participated in football, gymnastics, track, basketball and flag football over the years.
Jung’s Facebook is filled with years of family pictures of car rides, trips to the Salem Public Library and attending the Awesome 3000 fun run.
West Salem Principal Carlos Ruiz sent a statement to students, staff and families Thursday announcing Elijah’s death to the school.
“Elijah will be remembered and live in our hearts forever as a gentle, strong and caring student who touched many lives in our community,” Ruiz said in the message.
He said Elijah was looking forward to being a dual language scholar his senior year.
Ruiz said the school is focused on supporting Elijah’s close friends following their loss. The statement also included grief services and counseling available through the Salem-Keizer School District.
He is survived by his mother, his father David Jung and his sister Dayjah, who will be entering the eighth grade at Walker Middle School.
This is the Salem area’s 11th traffic fatality of 2025, according to Salem Reporter’s coverage.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.
Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].
A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE.
Senior Reporter Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022, where she covers homelessness and housing. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
Madeleine Moore joined Salem Reporter in 2024 and reports on a variety of topics including public safety, addiction, treatment and the criminal justice system. She came to Salem after graduating from the University of Oregon in June 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
