Fatal Crash – Highway 82 – Union County - 05/18/26

UNION COUNTY, Ore. (18 May 2026) – On Friday, May 15, 2026, at 12:31 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a single-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 82 near milepost 24 in Union County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a green Toyota Highlander, operated by a 17-year-old male from La Grande, was traveling westbound on the eastbound shoulder of Highway 82 near Elgin for unknown reasons. The vehicle left the highway and rolled multiple times before the operator was ejected from the vehicle.

The operator and lone occupant of the vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver is not believed to have been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

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

OSP was assisted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Elgin Quick Response, La Grande Fire and Rescue, Life Flight, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

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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 documenting, investigating, and analyzing complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in using 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.