MALHEUR COUNTY, Ore. (21 July 2026) – On Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 9:44 a.m., the Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 20 near milepost 255 in Malheur County.   

The preliminary investigation indicated a white Peterbilt semi-truck towing a trailer, operated by Victor Pena-Olvera (24) of Marsing (ID), was westbound on Hwy. 20 attempting to turn left onto Siphon Drive when a black Harley Davidson motorcycle, operated by John Platt (67) of Winters (CA), attempted to pass.  The motorcycle struck the driver’s side of the Peterbilt.   

The operator of the Harley Davidson (Platt) was declared deceased at the scene.   

A passenger on the Harley Davidson, Yolanda Platt (70), was transported to an area hospital for reported serious injuries.

The operator of the Peterbilt (Pena-Olvera) was not injured.    

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

OSP was assisted by Treasure Valley Paramedics 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.