The crash occurred at approximately 1:18 p.m. on Highway 79 near milepost 69, near the Cow Canyon Rest Area.
Wasco County, OR – A 75-year-old Portland woman was killed, and an 80-year-old man was seriously injured in a collision involving a commercial semi-truck on Highway 97 in Wasco County on Wednesday afternoon, October 14, 2026, according to Oregon State Police.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:18 p.m. on Highway 79 near milepost 69, near the Cow Canyon Rest Area.
Investigators said a silver Toyota Venza, driven by Mary Elizabeth Auch Hankins, was attempting to make a left turn when it pulled into the path of a southbound blue Volvo semi-truck hauling a 53-foot box trailer.
The semi-truck, driven by 32-year-old Muhammad Shafiq of Yuba City, California, collided with the Toyota. The impact pushed the passenger vehicle over an embankment, and both vehicles came to rest off the east shoulder of the highway.
Auch Hankins was pronounced dead at the scene. Her passenger, 80-year-old Richard Thomas Hankins, also of Portland, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital.
Shafiq was not injured, remained at the scene, and cooperated with investigators. The highway was not affected by the investigation.
The Oregon State Police investigation was assisted by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Fire and EMS, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.