Fatal Crash - Highway 126E - Lane County - 09/09/25
LANE COUNTY, Ore (Sept. 9, 2025) - On Friday, September 5, 2025, at 8:43 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle crash on Highway 126E, near milepost 21, in Lane County.
The preliminary investigation indicated an eastbound Suzuki GXR motorcycle, operated by Lucas Charles Thomas (38) of Springfield, struck a deer around 3:00 a.m.. The collision caused the rider to lose control, leave the roadway, and travel down an embankment.
The operator of the Suzuki (Thomas) was declared deceased at the scene.
The highway was impacted for approximately one hour during the on-scene investigation.
OSP was assisted by McKenzie Fire and ODOT.
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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.