Douglas County Man Found Dead After Being Ejected in Single-Vehicle Crash Near Yoncalla, Deputies Say

By Diane Megaw On Mar 9, 2026 Last updated Mar 9, 2026

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. — A Drain man, 33-year-old Nicholas Rex Snyder, was found dead in his car on Friday afternoon after a single vehicle crash in the 10000 block of Elkhead near Yoncalla.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office indicated that 9-1-1 dispatchers received a report of the crash shortly after 2:45 p.m. on Friday. It was discovered by a FedEx driver, who alerted the homeowner.

Deputies, with the North Douglas Fire & EMS, the Douglas County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Lougheads Towing, were dispatched to the scene.

Tidings Context

In rural fatal crashes, deputies secure the scene, medics confirm no lifesaving measures are possible, and the medical examiner documents the death before the vehicle is recovered for investigation.

The first deputy to arrive found a white 2009 Kia Rio in a field approximately 200 feet from the roadway.

The driver had been ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Tidings Insight

When a car leaves the road with no witnesses, investigators often need pre crash tips because the cause may only become clear after scene evidence, vehicle inspection, and accounts from before impact are compared.

If you have any information or knowledge of events leading up to the crash, please get in touch with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 440-4471 referencing case #26-0726.

Douglas County Southern Oregon