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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Police: Man beat neighbor with cane in lawn dispute ... Ariella St. Clair retiring from producing live music shows ... Pipeline project annoys east Medford residents ... Police: Man beat neighbor with cane in lawn dispute ... Ariella St. Clair retiring from producing live music shows ... Pipeline project annoys east Medford residents ... PUBLIC SAFETY California man dies in I-5 rollover Death reported Tuesday afternoon near exit 19 Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Apr. 12, 2016 at 3:19 PM Updated Apr 12, 2016 at 10:24 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Apr. 12, 2016 at 3:19 PM Updated Apr 12, 2016 at 10:24 PM » Social News Authorities named a California man as the driver involved in a fatal single-vehicle rollover crash Tuesday afternoon outside of Ashland. Robert D. Butler, 85, of Montague, Calif., was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that occurred a few hundred yards south of Interstate 5 exit 19 at 2:36 p.m. Tuesday after his maroon 1990s Ford Expedition SUV apparently hit a guardrail and tumbled down an embankment into vegetation on the west side of the freeway, according to an Oregon State Police report. Butler was driving alone and was not wearing his seat belt, according to a preliminary investigation. Crews had to cut open the SUV with the Jaws of Life to remove Butler's body from the vehicle. The wreckage shows that both front airbags deployed, and an OSP crash reconstruction team investigated the crash for several hours. A lane of travel and the on-ramp to southbound I-5 were closed for several hours during the investigation, causing congestion and delays. Both lanes reopened just after 6 p.m., according to Oregon Department of Transportation releases. Contributing factors in the fatal crash are still under investigation, according to the OSP release. A number of citizens stopped at the scene before emergency responders arrived, including a commercial truck driver and a man driving a motorhome, who left before speaking to troopers. OSP is asking witnesses of the crash to contact investigators at 541-664-8365. Minutes after the Ashland crash, a second crash occurred near the I-5 viaduct in Medford, snarling northbound traffic on the freeway. The crash at 2:42 p.m. on the viaduct involved three vehicles and briefly blocked both northbound lanes near milepost 28. The crash included a box truck that left debris across the lanes, ODOT reported. Traffic started moving shortly after 3 p.m., but delays lingered, officials said. Traffic cameras on the TripCheck website showed traffic was backed up to at least exit 27. ODOT spokesman Gary Leaming said the two crashes weren't related, and that roads were dry in Ashland and Medford. "I think they're completely separate," Leaming said. "Sometimes those things happen." Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Apr. 12, 2016 at 3:19 PM Updated Apr 12, 2016 at 10:24 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501