Salem Police Investigating Tuesday's Fatal Traffic Crash

Sunnyside Road was closed for nearly four hours for the crash investigation.

Photo: Salem Police

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Salem Police Traffic Control Unit is investigating a fatal traffic crash that occurred Tuesday morning in south Salem.

Officers were dispatched at 8:37 a.m. to the 6400 block of Sunnyside Rd SE on a report of a two vehicle head on collision that had just occurred.

Arriving officers found two vehicles sitting in the roadway with the drivers of both vehicles trapped inside. Fire units were on scene and called for further resources to extricate the drivers from the vehicles.

Sunnyside Rd was closed in the area for nearly four hours as investigators worked to investigate the crash.

The investigation determined that 44-year old Daniel J Thompson was driving a green 1991 Subaru Legacy station wagon southbound on Sunnyside Rd when the vehicle crossed over the center line and collided with a red 1990 Ford Tempo sedan being driven northbound on Sunnyside Rd by 73-year old Michael J Tuel.

Both drivers were transported to Salem Health by ambulance, where Michael Tuel later died of his injuries.

The investigation is continuing, and anyone with information about this crash is asked to call the Salem Police Department Traffic Control Unit. There have been no arrests made nor citations issued thus far.

Source: Salem Police