The Oregon Ducks are likely prepping for their 2024 season under head coach Dan Lanning, but on Tuesday, disturbing details emerged about a potential crime involving one of their players.
Eugene Police Department officials said that they are investigating a fatal hit and run incident that happened shortly after 9 p.m. on April 15 in the area of West 4th Avenue and Polk Street
Dispatch records show that the call initially came in as a stabbing around 9:15 p.m. and the 46-year-old male victim was found in the road with a large laceration to their neck and a hammer nearby. Police would not comment on this 9-1-1 call, saying that it’s a complex investigation and their investigation is ongoing.
An Oregon Ducks football player has been taken into custody with charges pending for the alleged crime.
Neighbors in the area of where the incident took place said just before the crash, they heard a vehicle driving excessively loud and fast through the neighborhood.
“About 10 ’til nine I head a car zooming around the neighborhood up and down what sounded like Polk and then up and down Fourth, and then it sounded like he was behind us,” neighbor Seth Lockard said. “It just sounded like he was doing circles for about 10-15 minutes going really fast.”
Lockard said he and his wife who were home at the time, did not think much of it, as the area is notorious for speeders who often attempt to drive through the neighborhood to avoid traffic on the nearby main road.
“My wife heard a thump and that was real rough and she didn’t really put it together,” Lockard said. “She said, ‘I think they may have hit a tree or something,’ and then I heard a bunch of sirens and then I came out and saw kind of the scene which was rough.”
Oregon Ducks Football Player Amir Austin Arrested, Charges Pending With Investigation Underway
Police arrested 19-year-old Daylen Amir Austin, who is facing a charge of failing to perform the duties of a driver to injured persons, at an apartment at 11:45 p.m. on the same night, authorities said.
Austin, who is a sophomore defensive back for the Oregon Ducks football team, was arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on April 17 at the Lane County Jail. Austin did not make a plea during his arraignment and was made eligible for conditional release under certain condition, but those conditions are not known at this time. However, jail records show that Austin was released from custody on April 17, 2024, and his next court date is set for May 22.
EPD is still gathering information to be submitted to the Lane County District’s Attorney for a final charging decision, but neighbors in the area of where the incident took place said just before the crash, they heard a vehicle driving excessively loud and fast through the neighborhood.
Neighbors like Anthony Sharpy said the scene lasted for hours, as even the blood from the scene was left on the street into the morning.
“The next morning when I drove by, there was still just puddles of blood and some gloves in the street, so I put some hydrogen peroxide on the blood and put 5-gallon buckets of water on it to try and wash it away because people walk their dogs right there, there’s flies and birds flying around…” Sharpy said. “We just didn’t want to see the blood in the street.”
Neighbors were also shocked when they heard the suspect is a 19-year-old Oregon Ducks football player.
“It’s super sad.” Sharpy said. “It must be tragic and hard for anybody to cause an injury to somebody like that.”
KEZI reached out to the University of Oregon, and they said they are still gathering information.
Austin, a defensive back preparing for his second season with the Ducks after signing in 2023, was a borderline Top 100 player in his signing class, according to On3. He was the No. 109 prospect according to the On3 Industry Ranking, earning four stars and being recruited by a number of national powers. He appeared in three games for the Ducks as a true freshman and was apparently vying to crack the starting lineup as a nickel corner.