CLATSOP COUNTY Ore. — On Tuesday at 6:24 a.m., the Oregon State Police (OSP) responded to a three-vehicle crash on Highway 26, near milepost 16, in Clatsop County.
According to an OSP press release, the preliminary investigation indicated a westbound red Ford F-350, operated by Michael L Skillin, 56, of Vernonia, attempted to pass multiple commercial motor vehicles when it struck an eastbound white Ford F-350, operated by Bryce Alan Kilponen, 50, of Naselle, Wash. head-on.
The red Ford-F350 then struck the trailer of a westbound Kenworth commercial motor vehicle, operated by Kenneth Michael Steel, 55, of Salem.
Skillin was declared deceased at the scene. A passenger, a female juvenile suffered reported minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
Kilponen suffered reported minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
Steel, the operator of the Kenworth, was reportedly uninjured.
The highway was impacted for approximately 6.5 hours during the on-scene investigation. Speed and unsafe passing are considered the primary factors in the cause of the crash.
OSP was assisted by the Cannon Beach Fire Department, Hamlet Fire Department, Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office, and ODOT. This is an ongoing investigation and no other information is currently available.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
