Salem Man Dies While Driving on I-5

Salem-News.com

(SALEM) - A Salem man who died Thursday afternoon while driving on the freeway may possibly be the victim of a heart attack. A pick-up truck operated 65-year old Ronald English of Salem left Interstate 5 south of Salem and came to a stop in a bordering field around 4:30 PM.

Oregon State Police troopers and emergency medical personnel responded to a report of a vehicle that went off the freeway, through a fence, and came to a stop in a field.

Troopers say their preliminary investigation indicates a 1998 Mazda pickup driven by Mr. English was northbound on Interstate 5 near milepost 243 when it veered off the right shoulder. The pickup went through a fence and stopped in a field on the east side of the freeway.

Witnesses stopped and saw an unresponsive man in the locked pickup. They broke out the window and gained entry.

Jefferson Fire and medics arrived shortly after that, but their resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful and Mr. English was pronounced deceased.

Oregon State Police troopers from the Salem Area Command office are completing the investigation.