Death on Driver Valley Rd., Douglas Co., Aug. 23

OAKLAND, Ore. – A Sutherlin man died Thursday afternoon in a single vehicle crash in the 2100-block of Driver Valley Road. On Thursday, August 19, 2021, at approximately 2:45 p.m. 9-1-1 dispatchers received reports of a single vehicle crash in the 2100-block of Driver Valley Road. The Sheriff’s Office along with fire and EMS personnel were dispatched to the scene. Deputies arrived to discover a white 1995 Ford F250 pickup with one occupant that had crashed while traveling eastbound on Driver Valley Road. The driver failed to negotiate a corner before crashing. The driver, 43-year-old Austin Wayne Ward of Sutherlin was pronounced deceased at the scene. Ward was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash. The investigation determined speed to be a contributing factor.