An 84-year-old woman, Judith Ann Brunkal, was pronounced dead after a car crash in Salem on Monday morning, marking the city’s twelfth traffic fatality of the year. According to Salem Police Department, a compact crossover car veered off the southbound lane of Croisan Creek Road, struck a utility pole, and hit two trees near the intersection with Roberta Avenue.
The accident occurred around 8:30 a.m., with officers arriving at the scene to discover a downed electrical line across the road and the vehicle embedded in a power pole and trees. Despite immediate life-saving measures performed by officers for the passenger, Brunkal, the efforts were unsuccessful as she was pronounced dead at the scene, reported KATU News.
Richard Brunkal, the driver, is cooperating with the police investigation, and as of now, no arrests or citations have been issued. Meanwhile, Croisan Creek Road between Heath Street and Mockingbird Drive remained closed following the accident to facilitate the investigation and allow for repairs to the damaged infrastructure, according to details from KPTV.
Local residents were still able to access their homes despite the road closure, while utility company PGE worked on the power pole. The area was expected to be cleared after the on-site investigation was concluded and the repairs were completed. Details on when the road would fully reopen to traffic were not immediately made available. The Salem Police have yet to release further comments on the ongoing investigation, as highlighted in a statement obtained by Statesman Journal.
