A Friday morning drive on U.S. Highway 26 turned deadly for a Washington woman after her car crossed into opposing traffic and hit a utility pole in Clatsop County, authorities said. The crash happened at about 10:30 a.m. on June 5 near milepost 7.5, roughly two miles west of Necanicum. The driver, 30-year-old Brittany Ann Estella Lute of Long Beach, Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene and was not wearing a seatbelt.
According to KPTV, Oregon State Police said Lute was driving a white Nissan Kicks that crossed into the westbound lane and struck a utility pole on the westbound shoulder. Troopers told the station the crash investigation is ongoing and that impairment is believed to have been a contributing factor.
OSP highlights impaired driving risk
Oregon State Police have pointed to impaired driving as a major contributor to fatal crashes and have made it a central focus of enforcement and crash investigations. The agency's strategic roadmap lists impaired driving among the "Fatal-5" behaviors and notes that a substantial share of recent fatal collisions involved suspected impairment, which is why investigators treat it as a key factor in serious crash probes. Oregon State Police outlines those priorities in its 2024-2029 plan.
Highway 26 safety record
US-26 is a primary corridor between Portland and the coast and has seen multiple deadly crashes in recent years. State crash data show Clatsop County recorded seven fatal crashes in 2024, underscoring the risks on stretches of the route. ODOT lists county-level totals in its crash summaries.
Investigation ongoing
OSP's Collision Reconstruction Unit is handling the investigation, and troopers have not yet released toxicology results or final findings. Witnesses or anyone with information about the crash are asked to contact Oregon State Police, and KPTV reports that the investigation remains active.
