On Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at approximately 12:38 P.M., the Oregon State Police responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Hwy-26, near milepost 52, in Washington County. The preliminary investigation indicated a white Ford F-250, operated by Frederick Henry Kortlever (90) of Astoria, was eastbound when it left its lane of travel and crashed head-on with a silver GMC Savannah, operated by Erez Yair Mayer (50) of Portland, which was traveling westbound. A westbound black Honda civic, operated by John Larson (23) of Troutdale, struck the rear of the Ford F-250 after it came to a rest in the westbound lane. The operator of the Ford F-250 (Kortlever) was declared deceased at the scene. The operator of the GMC Savannah (Erez Mayer) was declared deceased at the scene. The passengers of the GMC, a 16 year old female and a 15 year old male, were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The operator of the Honda Civic (Larson) and passenger, Alexander Baumgardt (21), were reportedly uninjured during the crash. The highway was impacted for approximately 5.5 hours during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Banks Fire and Rescue, and ODOT.
