POLK COUNTY, OR - On Sunday, June 15, 2025, at 7:07 p.m., Oregon State Police (OSP) responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 18, near milepost 27, in Polk County.
The preliminary investigation indicated an eastbound Freightliner commercial motor vehicle and trailer, operated by Nikita P. Sukhodolov (19) of Salem, made a left hand turn into a gravel lot and entered the path of a westbound Kawasaki ZX-18 motorcycle, operated by Joseph Nicholas Grammer (50) of Grand Ronde. The Kawasaki struck the side of the Freightliner during the collision.
The Kawasaki operator (Grammer) was declared deceased at the scene.
The operator of the Freightliner (Sukhodolov) was not injured.
The highway was impacted for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office.
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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU)
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in the documentation, investigation, and analysis of complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in the use of advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.
