CLATSOP COUNTY, Ore. — A two-car crash on Highway 26 in Clatsop County on Saturday resulted in the deaths of both drivers, one of whom was a band teacher at Seaside High School and Middle School.
The crash occurred shortly before noon on Saturday near milepost 10, according to a press release from the Oregon State Police. A westbound black 2020 Tesla Model Y lost control, crossed into the eastbound lane and collided with an eastbound grey Hyundai Tucson van, police said.
The Tesla was driven by 49-year-old Fredrick Scheffler II of Portland, police said, and the Hyundai was driven by 26-year-old Kyle Rieger of Warrenton.
Scheffler suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene, police said on Saturday evening, while Rieger was picked up by emergency medical services and taken to a hospital in serious condition.
On Sunday, Seaside High School and Middle School principal Jeff Roberts sent a letter to parents and students informing them that Rieger had died. The letter was first reported by the Seaside Signal.
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Rieger was first taken to Seaside Providence Hospital and then airlifted by LifeFlight to Oregon Health and Science University, Roberts wrote, but his injuries were too severe for the medical team there to save him.
Highway 26 was partially closed for about three and a half hours after the crash, police said, and the Seaside Fire Department, Hamlet Fire Department and Oregon Department of Transportation assisted in the crash response.
