On Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 12:02 p.m., the Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Interstate 5, near milepost 271, in Marion County. The preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Toyota Corolla, operated by Elvin Miranda Martinez (28) of Junction City, was the subject of several driving complaints and had crashed into the center median, near milepost 293 on I5. As OSP units were responding, the suspect vehicle left the scene of the original crash and continued southbound at high speeds, striking the median again before eventually becoming disabled in the median. A concerned motorist stopped to check on the suspect when the suspect attempted to take the motorists vehicle keys. As Woodburn Police officers arrived on scene, the suspect fled on foot across the northbound lanes and was struck by a Honda CR-V. The suspect (Martinez) was transported to a local hospital and was later declared deceased by hospital personnel. The operator of the Honda was not injured and was cooperative with investigators. The highway was impacted for approximately 2.5 hours during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by the Woodburn Fire Department, Woodburn Police Department, Hubbard Police Department, and ODOT.
