Hwy. 26 crash kills Lake Oswego woman, daughter

(Update: OSP identifies victims, says speed on snowy road may be factor)

A Lake Oswego woman and her 12-year-old daughter were killed Monday afternoon when their car crossed into the path of an oncoming SUV and they collided on snow-covered U.S. Highway 26 in Wasco County, Oregon State Police said Tuesday.

OSP troopers from Portland and The Dalles responded around 3:25 p.m. to the reported two-vehicle crash on Highway 26 near milepost 65, just east of the Highway 35 (Mt. Hood Highway) intersection in Wasco County and west of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, OSP Sgt. Kaipo Raiser said.

A preliminary investigation found that a white 2008 Nissan Versa driven by Deirdre Lynne Mackey, 48, of Lake Oswego, was heading east on the snowy highway when it crossed into the westbound lane and into the path of an oncoming 2018 Subaru Outback, Raiser said. The car was struck at an angle on the passenger’s side doors, he added.

Mackey and her daughter, the front seat passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene, Raiser said.

The Subaru driver, Darrow Rupp, 41, of Portland, and his passenger, Maria Veltman, 39, also of Portland, were taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, the OSP sergeant said.

“Driving too fast for the conditions is being considered a factor in this crash,” Raiser said in a news release.

The crash and investigation closed or limited traffic to one lane of travel for more than 10 hours, Raiser said.

OSP was assisted at the scene by ODOT and the Hoodland Fire Department.

During the closure, ODOT established a westbound detour onto state Highway 216 and eastbound on Highway 35 (the Mt. Hood Highway).

Check the latest traffic conditions on our ODOT TripCheck page.