Oregon Ducks football player involved in hit and run

Question

This claim is true as it is confirmed on ESPN that Oregon DB, Daylen Austin, was arrested after striking a 46 year old man 2 miles from the campus. Austin went on to spend that night in county jail. Yahoo Sports stated that his trial date was set to be in February but was postponed until August which was granted by the Lane County Circuit Court Judge. According to court filings, William Seaman, the victim, allegedly threw a large object at Austin's car as it passed. After that, Austin went back to find the person when he came upon Seaman, who allegedly held a hammer at him on the road. Austin then left the site. The Lookout Eugene page, the judge denies a motion for the hit and run case. He is back to playing football for the Ducks once again.

Answer 1

This statement is accurate, although the investigation is ongoing and has not yet reached a guilty verdict.

Oregon Ducks Defensive back Daylen Austin struck and killed 46-year-old Frank William Seaman on April 19th, 2024. Daylen was arrested for failing to perform the duties of a driver to an injured person and spent the night in Lane County Jail, where he was released the next morning. In February 2025, Austin pleaded not guilty to the charge and was scheduled to appear in court for trial in August. In May, Austin's attorney filed a petition asking the Oregon Supreme Court to dismiss the trial, which was denied on October 16th, 2025. The court stated that "Upon consideration by the court, the petition for writ of mandamus is denied."

It is unclear when the trial will resume. However, Austin remains an active player on the Oregon Ducks football team and has participated in all six games this season.

Answer 2

This is true; Oregon Ducks cornerback Daylen Austin was involved in a hit and run on Dec. 30, 2024, with a 42 year old man, according to the Oregonian. According to the Oregon Guard Austin was threatened by the man, who threw a rock at his window and threatened him with a hammer, before Austin hit him with his car and drove away, while calling his mother, and one of his coaches. The trial for Austin has since been postponed until Aug. 14. Austin is now with the team and playing this season.

https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2025/01/oregon-football-defensive-back-daylen-austin-indicted-for-fatal-hit-and-run.html

https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/courts/2025/02/08/trial-for-oregon-ducks-player-daylen-austin-postponed/78341103007/

Answer 3

The claim stated above is true, as I did some research I came across multiple articles stating that Daylen Austin in April 2024 was involved in a hit and run and left a 46 year old man deceased. As I researched this topic many sources had the same heading and statement that discussed the same topic, but one really stood out. For my primary sources, I found official police records and documents from the articles, which provides direct evidence of the incident. The legal documents confirm that an investigation was set for trial which shows verified government information. ESPN a well known multiplatform sport media company that owns television networks, a streaming service, radio, and websites wrote an article speaking out about this topic, the article stated “oregon defensive back Dylan Austin was arrested late Monday in connection to a fatal hit and run according to the Eugene police department”  the official police confirmation is direct evidence from an authoritative source making it a strong proof of evidence. For my secondary sources, I found a news report which is the Register guard and Oregon live, they discussed the whole incident using police information and court documents. I learned that there was a trial set for February 19 then according to court documents Austin's attorney, Bryan Boender, requested a postponement. These office legal records serve as direct and a primary source of evidence. Based on the information it is true that this incident has occurred, however I can see how there might be potential bias in the first article “ESPN” in a way they inform us about the incident from a law enforcement's perspective. They might tell us things in a way where they make sure they avoid details that might make them look bad. They want to inform us but also make sure they keep the public's trust. Which can change the way the situation happened in reality. In conclusion, the evidence that supports this claim is the verified police information and court documents that confirm his trial. I attempted messaging the Eugene Oregon police department who made the claim of Daylen Austin's arrest but unfortunately did not get a response back which is fair because the investigation has yet to end and still may be dealing with it at this moment. 

sources:

https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/courts/2025/02/08/trial-for-oregon-ducks-player-daylen-austin-postponed/78341103007/

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39962615/oregon-db-daylen-austin-arrested-fatal-hit-run