A patch worn by an Oregon National Guard soldier is shown March 20, 2026. Three National Guard members remained in an Oregon hospital on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, four days after a four-vehicle collision killed one person and injured 14 others, according to Oregon State Police. (John Hughel/Oregon National Guard)
Three National Guard members remained in an Oregon hospital on Wednesday, four days after a four-vehicle collision killed one person and injured 14 others, according to Oregon State Police.
Two vehicles carrying soldiers from the 141st Brigade Support Battalion in Portland and the 741st Brigade Engineering Battalion in Clackamas, Ore., were returning from training at Camp Rilea, in northwest Oregon, on Saturday evening, according to Lt. Col. Stephen Bomar, spokesman for the Oregon National Guard.
The state police said a preliminary investigation indicated a Ford Ranger pickup, operated by Markham Marshall Stangland, 65, of Warrenton, Ore., was traveling westbound on U.S. Route 30 when at about 8:58 p.m., for unknown reasons, it crossed into the eastbound lane of travel and sideswiped a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, operated by Jaden Vinay Govindan, 25, of Aloha, Ore.
The Ford Ranger continued westbound in the eastbound lane and struck a Ford Transit van, driven by Raiden Cunningham 21, of Milwaukie, Ore.
An eastbound Ford F-100 pickup, operated by Gregory Louis Wavra, 29, of Longview, Wash., struck the Ford Ranger and Ford Transit van.
The Ford Transit van was occupied by 11 Oregon National Guard members and the Dodge Ram 1500 was carrying four Oregon National Guard members.
A total of 18 people in four vehicles were involved in the collisions, according to state police. The number of people triggered a “mass casualty” response by area law enforcement, fire departments and area hospitals.
Stangland, who was driving the Ford Ranger, was pronounced dead at the scene. He is not believed to have been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to Oregon State Police.
Thirteen service members, including the van driver, were injured and transported to a nearby hospital.
Wavra, the driver of the Ford F-100, sustained minor injuries and was also taken to an area hospital.
Route 30, which runs along the Columbia River between Astoria and Portland, was closed for about four hours due to the incident.
Stars and Stripes reporter Lydia Gordon contributed to this report.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
STARS AND STRIPES VIDEOS
AROUND THE WEB
STRIPES TOP NEWS
