Oregon Coast News Roundup: Dead Whale, Fatal Vehicle Wreck, Arrests

Published 06/24/26 at 7:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Seaside, Oregon) – A roundup of news items from this along the Oregon coast: a fatal collision near the Coast Range, another dead whale washes up and two different, dramatic arrests. Photos Seaside Aquarium

Nineteen whales have stranded or washed ashore on the Oregon coast so far this year, and the latest was near Seaside.

Seaside Aquarium reports that a 41-foot gray whale washed ashore on June 16, along the stretch between Gearhart and Del Ray.

“The whale had been dead for quite some time before washing ashore,” the aquarium's Tiffany Boothe told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “Due to its body condition a necropsy was not done. “

Cascadia Research Collective reports at least 30 strandings along the Washington coast as well.

More than half of those deaths were linked at least in part to malnutrition. The number may be higher, but necropsies were not conducted in roughly a dozen of the 30 Washington cases.

The cause has partially been just the west winds in the region, bringing more stuff onshore. However, this run of emaciated and / or starved whales has been extraordinary, and scientists point to a number of things that seem to be contributing to a food shortage for the grays.

Along the route to the central Oregon coast, a collision between an electric bicycle and a truck towing a boat left a Dundee man dead Sunday evening in Newberg.

According to the Newberg-Dundee Police Department, the crash was reported at about 5:15 p.m. on June 21, 2026, on a curved section of westbound Hancock Street near Harrison Street. Responders found that the electric bicycle rider, Paul Rusciolelli of Dundee, had suffered critical injuries.

Bystanders and emergency crews attempted lifesaving measures, but Rusciolelli was pronounced dead at the scene. The department noted that the crash occurred on his 68th birthday as he was riding home to celebrate with family.

Police said the driver of the truck and trailer remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. No signs of impairment were detected from either party. The cause of the collision remains under investigation. The roadway was closed for several hours during the response.

The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, Newberg Public Works, and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted with the investigation.

Down in Curry County, law enforcement finally caught a wanted Texas man on the run on the south Oregon coast after a week of searching.

Marshals located Kenneth Leatherwood at about 12:35 p.m. on June 23 in a heavily wooded campsite near Lucas Lodge. Leatherwood had eluded law enforcement since June 16, when deputies learned he was in the Agness area driving a stolen vehicle.

“After a long week of searching, Leatherwood was located and taken into custody without incident,” CCSO said.

Leatherwood was wanted in Texas on a felony warrant related to child sex crimes. He was taken into custody without incident. Accused Texas Sex Offender Tracked Down on S. Oregon Coast After Week's Search - Deputies and state police had been looking around Agness for a week

Last week saw a particularly disturbing set of events when a Lincoln County man being arrested on various racial bias crimes fired shots at officers, and was then shot by police. Man Sought for Bias Crimes on Oregon Coast Is Shot After Pulling Gun on Officers - The man had damaged a fruit stand and threatened a woman

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