Fatal Crash – Interstate 5 – Douglas County - 08/19/26

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. (19 August 2026) – On Monday, August 17, 2026, at approximately 11:47 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a single-vehicle fatal crash on Interstate 5 northbound near milepost 138. 

The preliminary investigation indicated a silver Kia Rondo, operated by Carl Leslie Earhart (80) of Independence, was traveling northbound on Interstate 5 when it left the roadway for unknown reasons.  The vehicle struck a group of trees, rolled over, and caught fire. 

The operator of the Kia (Earhart) was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The highway was not impacted during the on-scene investigation. 

OSP was assisted by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Sutherlin Police Department, Douglas County Fire District No. 2, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.   
 

# # #

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 documenting, investigating, and analyzing complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in using 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.