13 Elk Killed On Highway 26; Banks Man Uninjured In Crash

NORTH PLAINS, OR — More than a dozen elk were killed early Thursday when a Banks man drove his truck through a small group attempting to cross Highway 26 near Northwest Dersham Road, west of North Plains.

James Walter Childers III, 36, was uninjured in the crash that left at least 13 elk dead on the highway around 4:30 a.m. Jan. 4. The salvageable elk meat is reportedly being sent to food banks and senior centers in Astoria, Tillamook, and the Portland metro area.

According to state police and the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Childers was traveling east on Highway 26 toward North Plains when he struck the small herd with his 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche just past milepost 54. Roughly half the struck elk died at the scene; the animals that survived the initial impact were euthanized "for humanitarian reasons," police said.

Police believe more than one vehicle may have struck the elk, though Childers took the brunt of the impact.

No charges will apparently be filed against Childers for the crash, Washington County Sheriff's spokeswoman Deputy Shannon Wildes told Patch Thursday.

While Childers' criminal history includes a couple convictions for driving while under the influence in 2008 and 2012, Wildes said it appears as though he was on his way to work at the time of the crash and wasn't even speeding.

Images via Oregon State Police, Washington County Sheriff's Office