UPDATE - Fatal Crash – Highway 30 – Clatsop County - 08/04/26

UPDATE: Headline updated to reflect crash location of Highway 30. 

CLATSOP COUNTY, Ore. (4 August 2026) – On Saturday, August 1, 2026, at approximately 8:59 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a fatal vehicle‑versus‑motorcycle crash on Highway 30 near milepost 90 in Clatsop County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a black Triumph Daytona motorcycle, operated by Samuel Stephen Clutter (55) of Portland, was traveling eastbound on Highway 30 near Timmerman Road near Astoria when it crossed into the westbound travel lane while attempting to pass in a no‑passing zone. The motorcycle collided head‑on with a yellow Ford Transit van, operated by Matthew James Weatherman (42) of Warrenton.

The operator of the Triumph (Clutter) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Ford van (Weatherman) had reported minor injuries.

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

OSP was assisted by the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office, Knappa Fire District, Medix Ambulance Service, Clatsop County Medical Examiner’s Office, 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.