On Thursday, March 29, 2018, at approximately 10:31 pm Oregon State Police Troopers responded to a report of a wrong-way driver on Interstate 5 near Portland Road in Salem, Oregon.
The report was that a vehicle was traveling south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5. The vehicle, a gray 2005 Ford Escape was observed by Oregon State Police traveling southbound on the inside shoulder of Interstate 5 northbound lanes.
The vehicle’s operator did not respond to emergency lights and siren and passed by an Oregon State Police Trooper who was northbound. Another Oregon State Police Trooper was able to get the northbound traffic stopped further up Interstate 5.
The Escape passed by another Oregon State Police Trooper and slowed slightly. An Oregon State Police K9 Trooper operating a Tahoe was able to hit the suspect vehicle in the left front corner panel with the left corner of his patrol vehicle.
The driver, 24-year-old Kayla Leedham of Salem, Oregon was taken out of the vehicle and she was covered in vomit. Leedham stated she had no idea she was going the wrong way on Interstate 5.
Leedham submitted to and failed standardized field sobriety tests and was arrested for driving while under the influence of intoxicants. Leedham was lodged at the Marion County Correctional Facility on charges of DUII, Reckless Driving, and Reckless Endangering.
Approximately 4 hours later, the same scenario unfolds on I-5, but with one big difference. This time, there was NOT an Oregon State Police Trooper able to intervene by physically stopping this impaired wrong way driver.
On March 30th at approximately 1:58 am the Oregon State Police was dispatched to a head-on motor vehicle crash on Interstate 5 just north of Kruse Way, involving a semi-truck and passenger car.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a black 2015 Mazda M6, operated by 25 yr. old Sydney Lopez Martinez, of Cornelius, was traveling southbound on Interstate 5 in the northbound lanes of travel. As Martinez continued southbound, a white 2015 Volvo semi-truck and trailer, operated by 66-year-old James Cropper was traveling northbound in the middle lane of travel.
Cropper observed the Mazda’s headlights coming directly at his truck and swerved to the right in an attempt to avoid a collision. While executing this avoidance maneuver, Cropper sideswiped a red 2015 Freightliner semi-truck and trailer, operated by 29-year-old Victor Amaro, in the right lane of travel.
The Mazda continued past the Volvo semi-truck in the middle lane and collided with its left rear dual tires on the trailer, causing the axle to shift. The Mazda then struck a white 2014 Freightliner semi-truck and trailer, operated by 30-year-old Dilpreet Singh head-on. The Mazda and Freightliner and trailer came to rest on the grassy shoulder.
The operator of the Mazda was transported by air ambulance to Oregon Health and Science University in critical condition. It was determined that alcohol was a contributing factor.
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