Crash Kills 81-Year-Old Member Of Elmer’s Restaurant Family

Tigard, Ore. — An 81-year-old woman lost her life, and two individuals suffered severe injuries in a devastating head-on collision that occurred on Thursday evening, according to local authorities. The incident took place at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Highway 99 West near Pfaffle Street, in close proximity to the Costco in Tigard.

Eyewitnesses at the scene recounted that the driver of a truck suddenly veered into oncoming traffic, resulting in a collision with four cars and a motorcycle. Emergency services promptly arrived, transporting three individuals, including the two seriously injured victims, to a nearby hospital. Tragically, one person succumbed to their injuries later at the hospital.

Law enforcement officials have identified the deceased as 81-year-old Luigina Elmer from King City. Lisa Edson, Elmer’s daughter, shared with KGW that Elmer’s son, Robert, was behind the wheel at the time of the incident. Robert is currently receiving care in the trauma unit at Oregon Health & Science University.

Recounting the events leading up to the accident, Edson stated, “Believe it or not, they went to go clean off my dad’s and her cemetery plots because my dad died 25 years ago. And they went to a movie and dinner. And they were driving home, and she got… they got hit.”

Luigina Elmer was an esteemed member of the Elmer’s Restaurant family, a beloved and well-known family-owned establishment in Portland. Edson revealed that her mother had bravely battled and survived four strokes and three different types of cancer throughout her lifetime. Elmer was remembered as a loving mother, and Edson found solace in knowing that her mother had spent precious moments with her loved ones before the tragic accident.

Edson also shared that she and her children had the opportunity to share a final meal with Elmer the night before her passing, cherishing it as a precious gift.

The truck’s driver, identified as 43-year-old Grant Thomas from Hillsboro, was arrested at the scene and subsequently booked into the Washington County jail. Thomas now faces multiple charges, including manslaughter, DUII (Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants), assault, reckless driving, and criminal mischief.