Oakridge Man Dies in Crash Near Harrisburg Interchange

OSP troopers from the Albany Area Command office are continuing the investigation.

Photo of fatal crash: Oregon State Police

(SPRINGFIELD, Ore.) - Oregon State Police troopers are investigating a fatal traffic crash that happened Friday afternoon along Interstate 5 south of the Harrisburg interchange.

OSP Senior Trooper Russell Decker, says the crash resulted in the death of an Oakridge man. He says OSP will work with the medical examiner to learn if a possible medical problem may have been a contributing factor. Decker says Friday at approximately 2:00 p.m. two vehicles, one a 1995 Toyota pickup driven by 49-year old Keith Wayne Tiller of Oakridge, and the other a 2005 Toyota Prius driven by 61-year old Dianne Dugaw of Eugene, were southbound on Interstate 5 near milepost 209.

"For an unknown reason, as the pickup was in the left lane passing the car it drifted to the right and brushed into the left side of the car. The pickup then continued off the right side of the freeway, traveled onto the grass shoulder and crashed head-on into a tree about 35 feet west of the freeway lanes."

Witnesses reportedly following Mr. Tiller for several miles saw no driving problems before the pickup drifted to the right with no attempt to stop before crashing, according to Decker.

Keith Tiller was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was using safety restraints and the airbag deployed.

Dugaw was not injured.

OSP troopers from the Albany Area Command office are continuing the investigation. Troopers from the Springfield and Roseburg offices assisted.

Harrisburg Fire Department, Albany Fire Department and ODOT assisted at the scene.