1 dead, 1 seriously injured in Marion County I-5 crash involving 4 cars

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One person is dead and another is seriously injured after a crash involving four cars happened on I-5 in Marion County early Thursday morning.

The crash happened near milepost 277 at 5:26 a.m., authorities said.

The person who died was 31-year-old Kenneth Lee Whelchel, of Dallas, the Oregon State Police said.

Another person, 35-year-old Cascade Locks resident Christopher Lee Connely, was transported to an area hospital via LifeFlight with serious injuries.

Two other people in their respective cars, 59-year-old Salem resident Robert Allen Morton and 30-year-old Albany resident Julia Cesar Garcia, both sustained minor injuries and were not transported to a hospital, officials said.

State police said the early stages of the investigation indicated a black Volkswagen Golf driven by Connely was traveling northbound behind a maroon Dodge Ram operated by Morton.

"For an unknown reason, the Volkswagen rear-ended the Dodge pickup truck at highway speeds, causing the Dodge to lose control and spin across the travel lanes," Oregon State Police said in a release.

A Nissan Altima being driven by Garcia, which was traveling behind the Volkswagen and Dodge, "could not avoid the crash and collided with the Dodge," officials said.

As the Dodge and Volkswagen continued to cross a cable barrier into the southbound lanes of I-5, a silver Ford Ranger being operated by Whelchel was hit.

"The Ranger's operator lost control, crashed into the barrier, and came to a stop about one-quarter mile down the highway," and Whelchel was pronounced dead at the scene, OSP said.

The highway was impacted for six hours as the investigation unfolded but it is now open again.