On the evening of November 15, 56‑year-old Quinn Webb lost his life after his three‑wheeled motorcycle broke through barricades into a closed construction zone in northeast Salem and crashed into an excavator. The incident happened around 8:38 p.m. on Hazelgreen Road NE, just west of 49th Avenue NE.
According to Salem Police, a nearby motorist reported seeing Webb drive up to the active construction site — but rather than stopping, Webb went around the barricades that had been placed to block access. At the time, the site was inactive and unattended, according to investigators.
Once inside the restricted area, Webb’s vehicle struck an excavator. The force of the collision proved fatal; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say their investigation is ongoing as they try to piece together what exactly happened — that includes examining visibility conditions, road layout, and why Webb chose to enter the closed section. No final conclusions have yet been released.
This crash marks Salem’s ninth traffic‑related fatality of 2025, highlighting ongoing worries about safety near construction zones. Authorities are urging people to take barricades seriously and not bypass them, even when things look quiet.
Friends, family, and members of the community are deeply shaken by Webb’s sudden death. In their grief, many are calling for clearer signage and better enforcement around road closures — hoping that more can be done to stop something like this from happening again.
As police continue talking to witnesses and gathering evidence, the loss of Quinn Webb is being mourned not just as a tragic accident, but as a painful reminder: road closures are there for a reason — and ignoring them can truly cost lives.
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