Fatal Crash – Interstate 84 – Gilliam County - 08/13/26
GILLIAM COUNTY, Ore. (13 August 2026) – On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at approximately 2:43 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a three-vehicle fatal crash on Interstate 84 near milepost 123 in Gilliam County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a westbound red Land Rover LR4 hauling an Airstream trailer, operated by James Thomas Raugust (77) of Ocean Shores, Washington, had pulled onto the right shoulder of the interstate with a flat tire. An Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) white Ford F550 maintenance truck, operated by Roger Vincent Birkeland of Arlington, had stopped to assist the disabled vehicle. The ODOT vehicle was parked behind the disabled vehicle blocking the right lane of travel with a large electronic reader board alerting oncoming traffic to move over. A westbound white Toyota Highlander, operated by Burke Lloyd Oneal (48) of Vancouver, Washington, struck the rear of the ODOT truck, lost control, and struck Raugust and Birkeland as they changed the flat tire.
The operator of the Land Rover (Raugust) was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The operator of the ODOT maintenance truck (Birkeland) was transported by Life Flight to an area hospital with serious injuries.
A passenger in the Land Rover, Melodie Marie Raugust (80) of Ocean Shores, Washington, had reported minor injuries.
The operator of the Toyota (Oneal) had reported minor injuries.
The highway was impacted for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation.
The crash remains under investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Police Department, Gilliam County Sheriff’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.