A deadly two-car crash on U.S. Highway 26 east of Sandy on Saturday evening left one person dead and three others seriously injured, shutting down the mountain route for hours. The collision closed the highway near milepost 31, close to Cherryville Drive, for about five hours while emergency crews worked the scene.
According to KATU, state troopers said the crash was reported at about 5:45 p.m. and involved a vehicle that crossed into the westbound lane and struck a Honda Accord. Troopers identified the victims as 24‑year‑old Austin Rylee Buchhotlz of Corbett, who was pronounced dead at the scene; 35‑year‑old Heath Beardmore of Rhododenderon; 19‑year‑old Kailee Peterson of Gresham; and 20‑year‑old Kemper Michael Buchholtz of Sandy, with Beardmore, Peterson and Kemper taken to area hospitals with serious injuries.
"They are still working to determine a cause of the crash," KATU reported, citing Oregon State Police. Troopers said they were assisted at the scene by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Clackamas Fire and Rescue, Hoodland Fire District and the Oregon Department of Transportation, and crews reopened the highway later that night after clearing the wreckage.
This stretch has a history of serious wrecks
Drivers familiar with the Mount Hood corridor know U.S. 26 can become dangerous quickly, particularly in fast‑changing weather and heavy recreational traffic. As reported by KPTV, the same Clackamas County corridor saw another fatal crash in January, and local outlets like multiple serious Highway 26 crashes have chronicled multiple serious collisions along Highway 26 in recent seasons.
How to travel the mountain route safely
If you must drive U.S. 26, check live road and camera updates before you go; the Oregon Department of Transportation's TripCheck site shows current conditions and closures. Allow extra travel time, slow for changing weather, and call 911 to report crashes so emergency responders can get to the scene.
