UPDATE: Washington Man Killed Going Wrong Way on I-5 South of Salem (AUDIO)

(SALEM) - Oregon State Police troopers were called out from their residences early Friday morning to respond to a fatal traffic crash that resulted in the death of a wrong way driver after his vehicle crashed head-on with a commercial truck in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 south of Salem.

At approximately 3:32 AM, the Oregon State Police Northern Command Center dispatch received the first of 8 calls within a two-minute period reporting a wrong way driver southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near milepost 253.

In addition to these citizen reports, Marion County emergency dispatch reported to OSP that their 9-1-1 center received at least ten similar calls.

At approximately 3:36 AM, reports began to come into dispatch reporting a head-on crash involving a wrong way driver in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near milepost 247.

Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies initially responded as OSP troopers were being called out due to no troopers on duty to respond out of the Salem or Albany OSP offices.

Preliminary investigation indicates a 2000 Chrysler 300 four-door driven by 45-year-old Kevin Renfrow, from Aberdeen, Washington, was southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near milepost 247 when it crashed head-on with a commercial truck in the center lane of three northbound lanes.

He was using safety restraints and was driving for Petroleum Cargo Carriers out of Portland.

Oregon State Police troopers from the Salem Area Command, with the assistance of an OSP crash reconstructionist, are continuing the investigation.

The only trooper on duty at the time was involved in the shooting investigation on Highway 22 in the Stayton area.

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Kevin liles-renfrow September 14, 2022 12:26 am (Pacific time)

Man it's been 15 years and I still don't know what to do without him. He was the best dad anyone could of asked for. Nothing will ever fill the whole left behind. So many questions unanswered. I love and miss you dad!

mistyalso@hotmail.com May 21, 2008 6:01 pm (Pacific time)

It's been over a year and It still feel like yesterday.I still look at lease sites searching for answers hoping to find a solution to what happened that night. We drove the freeway over and over looking at the constuction and watching the department of trasportaton post wrong way sings on a saturday morning No cops to respond that night all these factors scramble in my head but nothing will ever bring you home dad we love you and miss you so much .Life will never be the same

Anonymous March 8, 2007 11:25 pm (Pacific time)

Kevin had four children and six grandchildren, he was the greatest father in the world. People like to make judgements without knowing all the facts. Being out of town and road construction going on can be very confusing. He was a well loved person and we all miss him very much.

JO JO March 3, 2007 5:56 pm (Pacific time)

Wasn't there construction on the on ramp to where this car got on? I heard it was very confusing and maybe he thought he was going southbound?

Co Worker of Kevin March 2, 2007 2:41 am (Pacific time)

I can tell not one of you people have any feelings for this man or his family and friends. We lost a great person on that day and even if there were officers on duty I dont think they could have saved him. We love and miss you Kevin.

Hank Ruark February 26, 2007 9:32 am (Pacific time)

NMOPo: You emphasize personal responsibility but remain anonymous...good example ? It is that attitude at the root of your complaint. Society and culture set those basic attitudes, shaped for us by corporate concerns and ongoing heavy impacts of ads. Meanwhile we must protect ourselves; how else than by police power ? Do you wish to rely on the same "cooperation" shown in the Legislature by some ??

NOMOPOPO February 26, 2007 3:04 am (Pacific time)

blah blah blah... How do you think this would help? Even if there had been 5000 troopers on duty in Oregon the odds of one even being in that stretch, much less at the ready and able to stop the car would be slim. The issue is more what this person was on or what caused him to do this so hopefully people can learn something from it. Unfortunately State Police aren't superheroes. We have more than enough police most of the time, we need to find ways to put the resources to use more efficiently. For one thing, take some of the bored Salem Police and put them on duty on stretches of I-5 around Salem at times. Or the MCSO. There are tons of both of them driving around fiddling with people for tinted windows and loud stereos, when they could help out more with the stuff that matters like this. Also, most importantly people need to start taking charge of and policing their own lives and not rely on others for safety and petty protection as much. All part of why this country has become so soft internally. People around here see someone fart in public and they want to call 911. THAT is why there is no presence when you actually NEED it.

Henry Clay Ruark February 25, 2007 10:48 am (Pacific time)

D-C: Check facts, friend; see 8/28/02 SJ Edit bewailing FIVE special sessions with no GOP-cult action to rescue State budget...finally resulting in shortened school year AND layoff of 100 troopers. That's public record; what you say is either distortion OR perversion. Surely you cannot contend action came to skewer "bloated government", in face of 5 percent cut ballooned to 20 percent...see Edit. (PDF here on request when you ID-yourself fairly.} Edit even names Kitzhaber "good ideas" refused by GOP: "raising taxes on alcohol, temporary income-tax surcharge, limiting a federal tax break for corporations. "Tell it true" if you wish credibility, now or later..

Marco February 24, 2007 7:55 am (Pacific time)

For you Californians lacking history, the troopers were cut by spoiled legislatures who admitted they were tired of being ticketed for speeding on the freeways.

Henry Clay Ruark February 24, 2007 7:48 am (Pacific time)

D/C: Denying history will never end deficiencies. "Bloated govt." is catchword for Norquist documented plan, now history with consequences heavy nationwide, including Oregon, affecting every program. Thus yr Occam's sharpest when laid on historical record, as yr own statement re "desperate point" reflects.

Das Cabal February 23, 2007 6:22 pm (Pacific time)

sigh....Henry....can't the State Police cuts be traced back to an easy target for pacifying the loud call of taxpayers tired of paying for bloated government??? Do we have to drag in Norquist and cabals and conspiracies? Is this truly reasonable and logical? Can we simply apply Occam's razor and KISS? Whatever the reason, we are nearing a desperate point ...and need to add more troopers ASAP.

Henry Clay Ruark February 23, 2007 12:52 pm (Pacific time)

C-M: FYI, UN-funding State Police, to produce precisely this consequential affect, is part of longknown Norquist cabal plan to which I refer often. Norquist et al are now wellknown for Wed. group in D.C. from which "word went out" to many in most states. Impacts still felt; see Op Ed coming later today re cig-tax near-blackmail on issue supported by election action.

Curmudgeon February 23, 2007 12:31 pm (Pacific time)

Here we go again. This is the state capitol of a state with three million people, and we have to call troopers in the middle of the night and get them out of bed, because our legislature refuses to adequately fund our State Police agency.

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