Lane County crash kills Bend man, investigators cite possible medical issue

David Anthony King, 67, of Bend, died after his Dodge pickup left Central Road near Fleck Road and overturned in a ditch about 2 miles southeast of Veneta, a fatal crash Lane County investigators say may have been triggered by a medical issue.

Lane County Sheriff’s deputies and fire personnel responded at about 11 a.m. on April 6 to the single-vehicle wreck in western Lane County, west of Eugene. The Sheriff’s Office listed it as case 26-1673. King was the sole occupant of the pickup and was found dead at the scene.

Investigators said the driver appeared to have suffered a medical issue while driving, sending the truck off the roadway and into the ditch. Officials have not announced any criminal charges or impairment findings, and the crash remains under investigation. The Sheriff’s Office initially withheld King’s name until next-of-kin notification, then identified him in an April 10 update.

The location places the crash on a rural stretch of road that carries traffic between Veneta and the greater Eugene area. Central Road near Fleck Road is the kind of county route where higher speeds, long sight lines and longer response distances can make even a single-vehicle emergency more severe. Lane County’s updated Transportation Safety Action Plan, adopted in November 2025, highlights rural roads as a priority for reducing serious crashes and traffic deaths.

State and regional crash-data tools from the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Lane Council of Governments are used to track fatal and serious crashes across Lane County, including how many happen on rural roads and what types of vehicles are involved. This latest death adds to the county’s continuing focus on safety along outlying corridors where drivers may be traveling far from immediate medical help.