March 2, 2024 7:00 a.m.

Friday afternoon searchers located a pickup that crashed into the North Umpqua River east of Glide on Thursday, but the body of the driver was not located.

Captain Kyle Kennedy of the Oregon State Police said a 1995 GMC pickup, believed to have been operated by 27-year-old Rachel Merchant-Ly was removed from the river. Kennedy said the woman was not located in the vehicle, but the windows had been broken out. On-going efforts to locate Merchant-Ly will continue but Kennedy said there is not another search location in consideration at this time.

Merchant-Ly was initially reported as missing at 8:40 a.m. Thursday as she had not arrived at Glide Elementary School after leaving the Dry Creek area. A deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office located evidence of a vehicle slide-off on Highway 138E westbound near milepost 41.

The Glide School District is holding a community candlelight vigil in honor of Merchant-Ly Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. at Glide Elementary. Merchant-Ly was a kindergarten teacher at the school.