Medford man killed by semi on freeway
Nov. 30—A Medford man was struck and killed by a semi truck Tuesday evening as he tried to cross Interstate 5 after allegedly shoplifting.
Gabriel Francis Escobar, 39, reportedly was fleeing from a nearby Fred Meyer when he was struck just after 7 p.m. near milepost 27, according to a news release issued Wednesday by Oregon State Police.
The northbound slow lane, where Escobar was struck, was closed for approximately three hours while the crash investigation was conducted, authorities stated. The investigation is ongoing, and no further information about the driver was available Wednesday.
Jackson County Circuit Court records show Escobar has felony convictions going back nearly two decades, starting with a 2003 Jackson County Circuit Court conviction for possessing a Schedule I controlled substance.
Other convictions include a 2014 vehicle theft conviction stemming from an impaired driving crash in a stolen vehicle, a 2016 first-degree theft conviction for stealing a $3,500 bike from Marty's Cycle in Medford and an unlawful use of a weapon conviction for holding a rifle and making threats at two addresses in southwest Medford in May 2017.
