The deadly collision happened on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at approximately 3:59 p.m., on Highway 30 near milepost 39.
Columbia County, OR – One person was killed and two others were injured following a three-vehicle collision on a Columbia County highway Wednesday afternoon.
The Oregon State Police identified the deceased driver as Gary Ronald Thomas, 90, of St. Helens.
Two other drivers, identified as Cori Marie Mack, 61, of Rainier and Kyler Warren Rinck, 20, of Longview, WA, were injured in the crash.
The deadly collision happened on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at approximately 3:59 p.m., on Highway 30 near milepost 39.
Detectives said a gray Chevrolet Cruze, driven by Gary Thomas, was traveling eastbound on Highway 30 when it crossed into the westbound lane, for an unknown reason, and struck a westbound purple Saturn SL1, operated by Rinck, and a blue Toyota Camry, operated by Mack
Thomas was taken to an area hospital by Life Flight with serious injuries. OSP said Thomas later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Rinck was taken an area hospital with serious injuries. Mack was hospitalized with minor injuries.
The highway was closed for about two hours as police investigated the crash.
Have you been injured or have lost a loved one in a traffic collision? Contact our car accident attorney today. At Lerner and Rowe we have a team of dedicated car accident lawyers that are here to help. No case is too small or too large for us to handle. Don’t attempt to deal with insurance companies alone, we do this every day and we know what your injury is worth.