Tragedy struck Clatsop County this past weekend when a multi-vehicle crash claimed the life of a local man. According to a report by the Oregon State Police, the incident occurred on Highway 101 near milepost 32 on November 30. Investigators have pinpointed unsafe passing and speed as the primary culprits behind the fatal event which unfolded on a curved stretch of the road just before the late afternoon.

Wesley Dalton Leraas, a 30-year-old man from Gearhart, was riding a northbound Honda Shadow alongside Daniel Walter Whitehouse, who was operating a Yamaha V-Star. The riders, in an attempt to overtake another vehicle, moved into the southbound lane, only to critically misjudge the safe clearance needed to navigate the curve ahead. This maneuver forced them to abruptly encounter an incoming GMC Sierra, driven by 71-year-old Daniel Ray Mullins of Rockaway Beach. Their efforts to hastily return to their lane resulted in the motorcycles making contact with each other, causing Leraas to ultimately crash head-on into the Sierra.

The Oregon State Police confirmed that Leraas was pronounced dead at the scene. Meanwhile, Whitehouse managed to regain control of his motorcycle and avoided further collision. The official report stated that Whitehouse was not injured in the ordeal. Mullins, along with the passengers in the GMC, were also unharmed.

Following the crash, a section of Highway 101 was closed for approximately four hours as authorities conducted their investigation and cleared the scene. The Clatsop County Sheriff's Office, Cannon Beach Fire, and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) provided support to the state police during the crucial hours after the crash.