A Greater Albany Public Schools employee was killed Thursday afternoon when the passenger van he was driving crashed along Interstate 5 north of Albany.

James Paul Marlowe Jr., 61, of Albany was working at the time, transporting a student home from a special program in the Salem-Keizer school district.

The student, Levi Brown, 17, of Albany was taken by ambulance to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis. She had non-life threatening injuries, according to the Oregon State Police.

The crash occurred at about 1:15 p.m. in the southbound lanes near the Viewcrest overpass north of Albany.

Marlowe was driving the 2006 Ford E150 van, and for an unknown reason it traveled off the right shoulder of the freeway and into a grassy area, where it struck a dirt embankment and went airborne, according to OSP. The roof of the van struck a concrete pillar at the overpass. The vehicle came to rest on its wheels.

Marlowe was pronounced dead at the scene.

Both he and Brown had been wearing safety restraints.

OSP troopers, who are investigating the crash, were assisted on the scene by Jefferson firefighters, the Linn County Sheriff's Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation. Southbound traffic was restricted to one lane for about an hour.

Marlowe was first hired by the Greater Albany Public Schools in 2004. He worked as a driver until 2006, when he took a job as a custodian at West Albany High School.

He returned to driving earlier this year, working as a "relief and trip driver," according to the school district.

"Jim was just a really wonderful man, who was really proud of his grandchildren and family," West Albany Principal Susie Orsborn said this morning. "He was a very kind man, and he will be greatly missed."

Chris Ellison, GAPS director of transportation, said Marlowe was a model employee who had driven almost all the bus routes as a substitute and relief driver. He also took students to and from athletic and curricular activities.

"First and foremost, he loved kids," Ellison said of Marlowe. "He would go out of his way to help anybody in need. That's just the person Jim was."