7 killed, several hurt in 3-vehicle crash on Oregon interstate; “It looked like the van was sandwiched”

Albany, Oregon — Seven individuals had been killed and a number of others damage in a crash involving a number of automobiles Thursday on Interstate 5 in an agricultural space of western Oregon, police stated.

Officers responded at about 2:05 p.m. to the crash involving two semi vehicles and a passenger car within the northbound lanes about 7 miles north of Albany, close to the Santiam relaxation space, Oregon State Police stated in an announcement.

Seven adults died, police stated, however they did not specify what number of had been injured.

The passenger car concerned was a van, the Albany Democrat-Herald reported.

Our bodies lined in plastic could possibly be seen in a close-by area and the Marion County health worker was on the scene, the newspaper stated. A Life Flight helicopter left the scene at about 2:45 p.m.

Police and fireplace officers put a blue tarp on the wrecked van and positioned a barrier close to one of many vehicles to dam the view of the scene, in keeping with the Democrat-Herald.

The van appeared to have been crushed between the vehicles, a witness informed the Statesman Journal.

“Judging by the harm, it seemed just like the van was sandwiched,” Adrian Gonzalez stated. “It acquired hit very exhausting.”

Business driver Phil Worth informed CBS Portland, Oregon affiliate KOIN-TV the scene was heartbreaking. “My first (thought) was, ‘I hope there have been no fatalities,’ and naturally, there’s fairly a number of, so it is much more disturbing as a result of everybody has their household they usually acquired to lose someone as we speak,” he stated.

Two Life Flight helicopters landed and took individuals away whereas paramedics handled others on the bottom, Gonzalez informed the paper.

The reason for the crash was below investigation.

Albany lies between Salem and Eugene and is about 70 miles south of Portland. I-5 is the principle north-south interstate freeway on the West Coast.