Last Updated on May 9, 2023 by Amber Heard

Traffic on I-5 in Oregon Today

Those in Oregon today are likely to find that there is a lot of traffic on Interstate 5. A couple of crashes and a jackknifed semi-truck has made for a busy day. There are also school buses running to pick up drivers stranded in the area.

Multiple crashes

Several crashes on Interstate 5 today have closed the freeway for at least a few hours. A total of 60 passenger vehicles and at least 15 commercial motor vehicles were involved in the crashes. The Oregon Department of Transportation said that the multiple crashes occurred in the area during heavy fog.

A crash on the eastbound side of the freeway at Clinton Drive caused one person to be hospitalized. A vehicle landed on the front of another vehicle. Another crash occurred on the southbound side of the interstate at MP 216. The Oregon State Police said that the driver involved in the first crash was arrested for operating under the influence of a controlled substance.

The crash on I-41 was also a cause for concern. A pickup truck rolled over, ejecting a male passenger. The pickup truck driver was pregnant and was arrested for operating under the influence of narcotics. The driver was flown by helicopter to the hospital.

Jackknifed semi-truck

Hundreds of drivers are stuck between two crashes on I-5 today in Oregon. The first was a jackknifed semi-truck near Albany. The other was a lone, albeit lucky, car that survived a crash that spanned more than a mile of interstate. Several good samaritans tried to help before the medics arrived.

The biggest crash was a multi-car pileup on Interstate 5 near the Halsey-Brownsville exit. Heavy fog was a contributing factor, according to Oregon State Police. The department said the best way to pass the time was to watch for emergency responders who are working the scene.

A video of the crash on I-5 shows an array of cars and trucks stuck in the middle of the road. An estimated 15 to 20 commercial motor vehicles and about 45 passenger vehicles were involved in the crash. The Oregon Department of Transportation said it has a large number of crews working to unload vehicles.

A drunk Oklahoma truck driver was caught driving on I-5 in Portland with a suspended license. He caused injuries to innocent drivers.

Fatal accident

During a heavy fog morning in western Oregon, a number of crashes occurred on Interstate 5. The ‘big’ one occurred near milepost 216.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has tweeted out about the multi-vehicle crash, and the’mood’ associated with it. A hazmat team was dispatched to the scene to clean up the fluids, and a cable barrier was dropped to let the vehicles detour.

There was one fatality, according to OSP. Two others were taken to hospitals. One was pronounced dead and the other was seriously injured. The National Weather Service reported that visibility was near zero at the scene of the crash.

A chain reaction crash occurred on Interstate 5 southbound between Salem and Eugene in Linn County. At least 15 to 20 semi-trucks and 45 passenger vehicles were involved in the crash. The Oregon State Police are investigating the incident, and estimates have not changed.

A second crash occurred on the same stretch of road. The Oregon State Police have not released the details. A semi-truck jackknifed in the lanes of travel. The driver was extricated from an upside down position.

School buses arrive to help stranded drivers

Several school buses arrived to help stranded drivers on Interstate 5 in Oregon Wednesday. A massive pileup on I-5 north of Eugene left at least 60 cars and trucks parked on the freeway. The Oregon Department of Transportation advised drivers to expect delays on the freeway.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and HAZMAT are on the scene to control fluid leakage from six vehicles. Some of the vehicles involved in the crash smashed into each other. The traffic was backed up for more than a mile. It’s not clear how many people were injured in the crash.

Portland Public Schools didn’t have an exact count of stranded students, but officials say dozens were forced to wait for their buses to arrive. The school district posted on its Facebook page about the extreme road conditions. Some students were dropped off as late as 4:45 p.m. Several students had to wait for their parents to pick them up from school.