Fatal Crash - Highway 47 - Columbia County - 12/17/25

Columbia County, Ore (Dec. 17, 2025)- On Monday, December 15, 2025, at 11:42 P.M., Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle crash on Highway 47, near milepost 58, in Columbia County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Dodge Ram, operated by Todd Alan McCarthy (60) of Vernonia, left the roadway for unknown reasons, struck a utility pole and trees before coming to a rest off the roadway.

The operator of the Dodge (McCarthy) was declared deceased at the scene.

The highway was impacted for approximately six hours during the on-scene investigation. 

OSP was assisted by the Vernonia Police Depertment, Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Vernonia Fire Department, and ODOT.

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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) 
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in the documentation, investigation, and analysis of complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in the use of advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.