Woman dies in Friday morning I-5 crash near Cottage Grove

Makenzie Elliott, Register-Guard
·1 min read

One woman died and another was seriously injured in a Friday morning crash on Interstate 5 at milepost 166 about 8 miles south of Cottage Grove, according to Oregon State Police.

Police responded just before 6 a.m. Friday after the driver of a southbound Freightliner CMV and semi-trailer lost control and struck the center barrier, police said. A Nissan Murano also traveling southbound ran into the crashed truck.

The Nissan's driver, 46-year-old Karen Sweesy, of Monroe, Washington, died at the scene, police said. The Nissan's passenger was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

An Oregon Department of Transportation traffic camera shows southbound I-5 traffic backed up south of Cottage Grove on Friday, March 24, 2023.
An Oregon Department of Transportation traffic camera shows southbound I-5 traffic backed up south of Cottage Grove on Friday, March 24, 2023.

The driver of the Freightliner was uninjured.

The crash closed the highway for about two and a half hours, police said.

Makenzie Elliott covers breaking news and public safety for The Register-Guard. Reach her at MElliott@gannett.com. Find her on Twitter at @makenzielliott.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Woman dies in Friday morning I-5 crash near Cottage Grove