Cottage Grove man fatally shot while driving near Drain, police still investigating
A 72-year-old Cottage Grove man died in the hospital last week after he was shot while driving his pickup truck Nov. 30 on Highway 38 between Drain and Elkton.
The deceased victim was identified as Larry Eugene Mell.
State troopers and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 30 for medical assistance on Interstate 5 near milepost 153, police said.
Officers learned Mell was struck by a bullet while driving on Hwy 38, west of Drain. It's believed his 2003 Ram 2500 4-door pickup with a black ladder rack was struck by gunfire between the intersections for Roaring Camp Lane and Putnam Valley Road, OSP said Monday in a news release.
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Mell was transported to Mercy Hospital in Roseburg, before being airlifted to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield.
Mell died In the early morning hours of Dec. 1, according to the OSP statement. The Douglas County major crimes team is assisting in the investigation, comprised of members from the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, the Oregon State Police, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Roseburg police.
Detectives don't believe there is ongoing threat to the community and are looking for additional witnesses or information that can help with the investigation.
Investigators are asking anyone who was recreating in the area on Tuesday, Nov. 30 or has specific information that might be helpful to call the Oregon State Police at 1-800-442-2068 or "*OSP" (*677), and reference OSP case SP21-335049.
Louis Krauss covers breaking news for The Register-Guard. Contact him at lkrauss@registerguard.com, and follow him on Twitter @LouisKraussNews.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Cottage Grove man killed by gunshot while driving near Drain
