Fatality Update: 77-year-old killed, Arlington Man injured while trying to change tire on I-84 in Gilliam County
Photo courtesy Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office.
The Dalles, Ore., Aug. 13, 2026 — A 77-year-old Washington man was killed and an Oregon Department of Transportation employee was seriously injured Tuesday when a vehicle struck an ODOT maintenance truck and the two men who were changing a flat tire along Interstate 84, according to Oregon State Police.
The crash occurred at about 2:43 p.m. Aug. 11 near milepost 123 in Gilliam County.
According to a preliminary OSP investigation, James Thomas Raugust, 77, of Ocean Shores, Washington, was driving westbound in a red Land Rover LR4 towing an Airstream trailer when he pulled onto the right shoulder with a flat tire.
An ODOT Ford F-550 maintenance truck driven by Roger Vincent Birkeland of Arlington stopped to assist. The maintenance truck was parked behind the disabled Land Rover and blocked the right lane with a large electronic reader board directing approaching traffic to move over, according to OSP.
A westbound Toyota Highlander driven by Burke Lloyd Oneal, 48, of Vancouver, Washington, struck the rear of the ODOT truck, lost control and struck Raugust and Birkeland as they were changing the flat tire, OSP said.
Raugust was pronounced dead at the scene.
An air evacuation was used to assist a critically injured Arlington man in the crash just 10 miles east of the John Day River. Photo courtesy Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office.
Birkeland was flown by Life Flight to an area hospital with serious injuries.
Melodie Marie Raugust, 80, of Ocean Shores, a passenger in the Land Rover, and Oneal reported minor injuries, according to OSP.
Interstate 84 was affected for about three hours while emergency crews responded and investigators worked at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Police Department, Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon Department of Transportation.
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