Oregon State Police reported two mid-valley fatalities involving pedestrians on Interstate 5 over the weekend.
An Albany man was killed shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday by a semi truck near milepost 234 on Interstate 5 near Albany.
According to an OSP news release, 39-year-old Daniel Montoya was reportedly laying down on the interstate’s northbound side, then began running across the north- and southbound lanes. He then apparently sprinted in front of a car, which managed to swerve and avoid him. However, the 2021 Mack semi-truck behind the car, driven by 26-year-old Alan Steven of British Columbia, could not, the release stated.
Montoya was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Oregon State Police were assisted during the incident by the Albany Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation. The interstate’s southbound lanes were closed during the investigation.
On the previous evening, a Lebanon woman was struck after exiting a car parked in the median on the southbound portion of the interstate near milepost 254 in Salem.
Oregon State Police and emergency personnel, which eventually included Salem Fire and Medics and the Oregon Department of Transportation, responded to the scene shortly after 9 p.m.
A preliminary investigation indicated that 26-year-old Christina June Klug for reasons unknown reportedly walked from the parked vehicle into the lane of travel, where she was hit by a southbound vehicle driven by 24-year-old Maria Guzman-Coria of Salem.
Klug was pronounced dead at the scene. Guzman-Coria is cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation, which remains ongoing.