Fatal Crash - Highway 199 - Josephine County - 12/17/25

Josephine County, Ore. (Dec. 17, 2025)- On Monday, December 15, 2025, at 11:53 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle crash on Highway 199, near milepost 9, in Josephine County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Ford Econoline, operated by Dakota Mcleod Palmer (27) of Ashland, lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway, and struck a utility pole. 

The operator of the vehicle (Palmer) was transported to an area hospital with reported minor injuries.

A passenger of the vehicle, Kyle Dewayne King (50) of Elgin (TX), was declared deceased after being transported to an area hospital.

The highway was not impacted during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Rural Metro Fire Department, 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.