Spokane man jailed in Hwy. 26 crash that killed 3, injured 4

A 31-year-old Spokane man was arraigned Tuesday in The Dalles on three counts of second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving and other charges in a Dec. 26 crash on U.S. Highway 26 northwest of Warm Springs that killed three people and injured four others, authorities said.

Nathan James Verhaeghe was indicted last Friday by a Wasco County grand jury and arrested on a warrant in Bend by an Oregon State Police trooper from Bend and taken to the NORCOR regional jail in The Dalles, said OSP Sgt. Michael Berland.

Wasco County District Attorney Eric Nisley said Verhaeghe was arraigned Tuesday before Circuit Judge John Olson on the manslaughter and reckless driving charges, as well as one count of second-degree assault and two counts of recklessly endangering. The manslaughter and assault charges are Class B felonies and the other charges are misdemeanors, Nisley said.

A March 14 plea hearing is set for Verhaeghe, who is being held on $860,000 bail, according to jail records.

Troopers said in December that speed was one of the factors being investigated as causes of the crash, which closed Highway 26 for 5 ½ hours.

The investigation revealed Verhaeghe was at the wheel of a 2007 Chevy Malibu that struck the rear of a 2006 Toyota Matrix being driven by Adam Clausen, 37, of Portland, an assistant professor of physics at Lewis & Clark College.

Clausen’s car was pushed into the oncoming lane, where it was struck by a 2013 Chrysler van being driven by Robert Burke, 34, of Reno, Nevada, OSP Captain Bill Fugate said.

Clausen and his wife and passenger, Shannon O’Leary, 39, also of Portland, died at the scene, as did Robert Burke, troopers said. Clausen’s other passenger, the Clausens’ 4-year-old child, was taken to St. Charles Bend with minor injuries.

O’Leary was an assistant professor of physics at Lewis & Clark College. Clausen, a technology consultant, also had taught physics at Lewis & Clark and three other colleges, colleagues said.

Burke’s van had two passengers. Rachel Burke, 29, of Reno, was flown to St. Charles Bend with serious injuries. His other passenger, a 22-month-old child from Reno, was taken by ambulance to the Bend hospital with minor injuries.

Verhaeghe was flown to the Bend hospital with minor injuries, officials said.