Medford, OR – A 19-year-old Phoenix man died Friday morning in a crash on Interstate 5 near Central Point, following a high-speed pursuit and a collision with a semi-truck.
According to Oregon State Police (OSP), the incident began when a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling northbound at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. The driver, later identified as Chalino Tellez Cortez of Phoenix, failed to pull over and continued at a high rate of speed.
At around 7:00 a.m., Tellez Cortez’s vehicle struck the trailer of a Peterbilt semi-truck, driven by 28-year-old Gurjunder Singh of Yuba City, California. The force of the collision caused significant damage to both vehicles.
OSP confirmed that Tellez Cortez was pronounced dead at the scene. Singh, the truck driver, was not injured in the crash.
The crash, which occurred near milepost 33, caused significant disruptions to northbound traffic on Interstate 5. Authorities shut down a portion of the highway for more than two hours while the scene was cleared and the investigation was conducted.
OSP is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the factors leading to the high-speed chase. The highway was reopened by mid-morning, though significant delays were reported during the closure.
This fatal crash serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of excessive speeding and the risks involved in fleeing law enforcement. Further details regarding the investigation will be released as they become available.