March 11, 2023 2:30 p.m. 

A Yoncalla man died in a single vehicle wreck on Thursday evening.

A report from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said shortly before 6:00 p.m. 911 dispatchers received reports of a crash in the 1900 block of Hayhurst Road in Yoncalla.

Lieutenant Brad O’Dell said deputies arrived on the scene to find a van which had been traveling north, off the roadway. O’Dell said the driver was identified as 67-year old John Kowal of Yoncalla. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Kowal was the only occupant in the vehicle, and was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash.

Indications at the scene and from witness statements are that the van had entered into the path of an oncoming vehicle, when Kowal made a sharp correction and left the roadway. O’Dell said speed and alcohol are suspected to be contributing factors in the incident.

DCSO was assisted at the scene by North Douglas Fire and EMS.