Oregon football player Daylen Austin, a 19-year-old cornerback, was arraigned on April 17 at Lane County Jail in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident that occurred in Eugene. The charges against him include failing to perform the duties of a driver following the incident, which took place on a Monday night around 9:10 p.m. at the intersection of West 4th Avenue and Polk Street.
Eugene Police spokesperson Melinda McLaughlin reported that the victim, 46-year-old Frank William Seaman, was identified on May 8 after his family had been notified. Austin was arrested at his apartment at 11:45 p.m. on the same Monday but was no longer listed on the jail roster by Wednesday afternoon. He is being represented by Eugene defense attorney Bryan Boender.
Austin, a redshirt freshman and highly-touted recruit from Long Beach, California, missed Oregon’s spring practice following the arrest but had participated in earlier sessions. Last fall, he appeared in three games, recording three tackles and a pass breakup.
Oregon athletics is aware of the incident but has not commented further as they await more information. Head coach Dan Lanning declined to clarify Austin’s status with the team, stating, “I know Daylen’s character, and I think there’s a lot of details that will continue to play out.”
Austin’s next court appearance was initially set for May 22, but his attorney requested a 35-day postponement due to ongoing investigations. The court date has been rescheduled to 2:30 p.m. on June 24.
