A 34-year-old Salem woman suffered serious injuries Tuesday afternoon after being struck by two separate semi-trucks on westbound Highway 22 near Rosewood Drive NW. Salem Fire medics rushed her to Salem Hospital, and both truck drivers stayed at the scene to cooperate with investigators as officers shut down the highway for hours.
According to the Salem Police Department, patrol officers and the department's Traffic Team responded to the crash at approximately 12:11 p.m. on Tuesday. The woman was transported with serious injuries, and both semi-truck drivers remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation, which police say is still ongoing.
The crash forced a lengthy closure of westbound Highway 22 between the Marion Street Bridge and Stoneway Drive NW, with traffic diverted into West Salem while the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted at the scene. Salem police put the closure at approximately two and a half hours. The Statesman Journal reported the road reopened at approximately 2:26 p.m.
What Investigators Have — And Haven't — Said
Police have not released the identity of the woman involved, and the Statesman Journal noted that officers did not provide an update on her condition following the crash. No citation, arrest or determination of fault has been announced as the investigation continues.
The investigation remains open, with police continuing to examine the crash.
A Dangerous Stretch of Road
Tuesday's crash adds to a troubling pattern on Highway 22, which Salem Reporter found was involved in five fatal crashes in the Salem area in 2024 alone — a year the outlet's review identified as the deadliest for the area's roads in at least a decade, with 25 fatal crashes killing 27 people. Pedestrians accounted for eight of those deaths, and a stretch of Highway 22 between Northwest Doaks Ferry Road and Rickreall Road logged 141 crashes between 2018 and 2022, per the same review.
Other recent incidents underscore the stakes on Salem-area roadways. In March 2025, one man was killed and another was hospitalized after being struck by a pickup truck, according to KPTV. A woman also died after being hit by a train in Salem in late September, and a fatal pedestrian crash involving a 19-year-old Salem driver occurred off Highway 20 in Lincoln County in August, as reported by KOIN.
For now, Salem police say Tuesday's investigation into the Highway 22 crash continues, with no further details released about the extent of the woman's injuries or the circumstances that led to the collision.
