Clatsop County, OR – A 76-year-old Tillamook man was killed and a passenger seriously injured Saturday morning when a Ford Explorer collided with another vehicle on Highway 101 in Clatsop County, according to Oregon State Police.
The two-vehicle crash occurred at approximately 9:09 a.m. on September 12, 2026, on Highway 101 near milepost 26.
OSP said a light blue Ford Explorer driven by Ronald Gregory Smith was traveling northbound when it used the right shoulder to pass a black Toyota Highlander.
The Ford sideswiped the Highlander before returning to the northbound lane. It then crossed the southbound lane and left the roadway, striking an embankment and several trees.
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. The Highlander driver, Ronald Francis Smith, 84, of Seaside, was not injured.
A passenger in the Ford, Marie Schmitt, 56, of Tillamook, suffered serious injuries and was flown to a Portland-area hospital for treatment.
Based on the investigation and witness statements, OSP said Ronald Gregory Smith may have experienced a medical emergency immediately before the crash.
Highway 101 was impacted for approximately five hours while authorities investigated the scene. OSP was assisted by the Cannon Beach Fire Department, Medix Ambulance Services, Cannon Beach Police Department, and Oregon Department of Transportation.