Tragic Crash Near Oregon Coast Range; Washington County K-9 Nabs Thief

Published 05/15/26 at 8:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(McMinnville, Oregon) – Law enforcement and first responders were kept busy this week with a variety of incidents in western Oregon, with two in particular involving vehicles. (Photo ODOT)

The area between the Oregon Coast Range and McMinnville was the scene of a tragic accident this week that has left many coastal residents shaken.

Oregon State Police (OSP) said a single-vehicle crash on Highway 18 in Yamhill County left one man dead early Wednesday.

Troopers were called to the scene near milepost 38 at 5:48 a.m. on May 13. Investigators said a westbound Chevrolet Silverado driven by Philip Andrew Estes, 61, of Lincoln City, veered out of its lane for an unknown reason near SW Oldsville Road. The pickup entered a ditch, hit a culvert, rolled, and ejected the driver.

Estes was pronounced dead at the scene.

Highway 18 - one of the main routes to the Oregon coast - was partially closed for about three hours during the investigation. The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted at the scene.

Near McMinnville - Oregon Coast Beach Connection

In Washington County, sheriff deputies caught up with a man that had stolen a car, enabled by a K-9.

Deputies arrested an Arizona man Tuesday morning after he fled from a stolen vehicle in Aloha, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 8 a.m. on May 12, deputies were called to storage garages at 4050 SW 160th Avenue after a caller reported a man with a gun inside a parked vehicle.

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“Deputies requested a drone to assist and used it to safely monitor the situation from above,” OSP said. “Through the drone’s camera, they observed the man emerge from a nearby storage unit. When he noticed the deputies, he fled south across the parking lot, jumped a fence, and ran toward SW Blanton Street in Aloha.”

Deputies confirmed the vehicle he abandoned was stolen and saw multiple firearms inside. A containment perimeter was established, and Deputy Oien and K9 Rexx were brought in to track the suspect, with drone support overhead.

K9 Rexx located the man - identified as 36-year-old Vance Lind of Mesa, Arizona - hiding under a blanket in dense brush within a nearby green space. Deputies took him into custody and booked him into the Washington County Jail on charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, felon in possession of a weapon, providing false information to police, and an outstanding warrant from Arizona.

Detectives with the Washington County Community Violence Reduction Team later executed a search warrant on the vehicle and associated storage unit, locating additional firearms and stolen property. The sheriff’s office said further charges are possible as the investigation continues.

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