LINN COUNTY, OR - Oregon State Police (OSP are reporting that on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at 6:32 a.m., OSP responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Interstate 5, near milepost 216, in Linn County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Kenworth commercial motor vehicle and trailer, operated by Timothy Alan Vinton Jr (56) of Harrisburg, struck a pedestrian, Ronald Hope Cole Jr (61) of Harrisburg, who was on the roadway for unknown reasons.
The pedestrian (Cole Jr) was declared deceased at the scene.
The Kenworth operator (Vinton Jr) was not injured.
The highway was impacted for approximately two hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
OSP was assisted by ODOT.
Investigators are asking any motorists who saw the pedestrian in the area or witnessed the crash to contact OSP’s Northern Command Center at 800-442-0776 or *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Please reference case number #SP24408204.
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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU)
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in the documentation, investigation, and analysis of complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in the use of advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.
