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Memorial Procession For Fallen Trooper To Affect Traffic In Albany, Salem

Oregon State Police

A memorial procession for an Oregon state trooper who died this year as a result of a 20-year-old crash will affect drivers in Albany and Salem Wednesday.

  

 

Sergeant John Burrightpassed away in May nearly two decades after being struck while helping a family with a broken-down vehicle on the shoulder of I-5 north of Albany. The crash took the lives of two other officers, and left Burright with debilitating and career-ending injuries that are blamed for his death this year at age 61.

The Oregon State Police says Burright died in the line of duty and he’ll be remembered at a public memorial service in Salem on Wednesday, Aug. 25.

 

The service will be preceded by a procession of emergency vehicles along I-5 from the Linn County fairgrounds in Albany to the Salem Armory, starting just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. Officials say the procession could cause long delays on Interstate 5, as well as locally in Albany and Salem.

 

The procession will pass by the spot on the highway where Burright and the other officers were struck in 2001. The two other police officers, State Trooper Maria Mignano, and Jason Hoerauf of the Albany Police Department, died at the scene.

 
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has ordered flags at public institutions to be flown at half-staff on Wednesday in honor of Burright. 

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”