UPDATE - Fatal Crash – Highway 226 – Linn County - 08/03/26

UPDATE: Updated to reflect the motorcycle was traveling eastbound. 

LINN COUNTY, Ore. (3 August 2026) – On Friday, July 31, 2026, at approximately 9:41 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus motorcycle fatal crash on Highway 226 near milepost 11 in Linn County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a blue Ford 350 pickup truck, operated by Arthur Vernon Roberts (77) of Lebanon, was traveling westbound on Hwy. 226 when it slowed to turn south on Richardson Gap Road and turned into the path of an eastbound Harley Davidson motorcycle, operated by Tanner Kolten Henderson (29) of Gates. The motorcycle struck the front end of the pickup truck and the motorcycle and rider landed in the ditch off the roadway. The pickup came to a rest in the roadway blocking the intersection.  

The operator of the Harley Davidson (Henderson) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Ford (Roberts) was reportedly not injured, remained on scene, and cooperated with the investigation.

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

The crash remains under investigation, and no further information is available for release at this time.

OSP was assisted by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Lebanon Fire District, 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.