HR man fatally crashes into rock wall on Hwy. 35 near Cooper Spur for unknown reasons

The Dalles, Ore., Feb. 13, 2025 — A Hood River man was killed when his Subaru Forester left the Highway and hit a rock wall on Highway 35 in the Mount Hood National Forest near Cooper Spur Road on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 5:23 p.m., according to Oregon State Police.

Robert Aurelius Brownback, age 64, was driving northbound on the road “when it was determined the vehicle left the lane of travel for unknown reason and collided into a rock wall,” the report states.

Approximate location of fatality.

The Oregon Business Registry lists Brownback as the authorized Representative of Alpine Extracts, an Oregon OLCC licensed recreational marijuana processing facility, located on Oak Street in Hood River, Oregon.

Brownback lists himself as the chief operating officer for the company on his Facebook Page.

OSP Lt. Jason Calloway said the crash was not related to icy roads or wintery conditions.

“We don’t know for sure what happened,” he said this morning, Feb. 13. “It was not road conditions. The vehicle that was in front of him… said they observed him accelerate and crash into the wall.”

Calloway said the coroner could request an autopsy to see if the crash was related to health conditions. He did not know at the time of this report whether that would take place .

“The body of the deceased was transported by Anderson’s Tribute Center. The vehicle was towed by River’s Edge Towing. Next of kin was notified by OSP,” the report states.

Brownback was alone in the vehicle and was deceased at the scene of the accident.