Investigators say a man died after fleeing an attempted traffic stop on Highway 26 in Clackamas County.
WELCHES, Ore. — A man was shot and killed Sunday evening after Oregon State Police and Clackamas County sheriff’s deputies pursued a suspected impaired driver on Highway 26 and stopped him near a restaurant in Welches, authorities said.
The shooting has left major questions unanswered at the start of a high-profile investigation in Clackamas County. Oregon State Police said troopers first tried to stop the driver shortly before 7 p.m., then joined sheriff’s deputies in a pursuit that ended about five miles later. Officials have confirmed the man died and said no law enforcement officers were injured, but they have not yet explained what happened in the final moments before gunfire.
According to Oregon State Police, the episode began near East Brightwood Loop Road on Highway 26. Troopers had tried to pull over a driver they suspected was impaired. In the account released early Monday, police said the driver did not stop and instead led troopers and Clackamas County deputies east for about five miles. The chase ended near the Barlow Trail Roadhouse in Welches, a small mountain community along a busy route toward Mount Hood. After the vehicle stopped, officers used deadly force. Police have not publicly identified the man who was killed, and they have not said how many shots were fired, which officer or officers opened fire, or whether the driver was armed. “This is still an active investigation,” a FOX 12 reporter wrote in an update posted as the scene remained under review late Sunday.
What authorities have released so far is narrow. Oregon State Police said the man died at the scene after the stop near the roadhouse. The agency also said no troopers or sheriff’s deputies were hurt. A second local report, citing police, said the driver sped away just as a trooper approached the vehicle at the initial stop. Beyond that, much of the most important information remains unknown. Officials have not said whether commands were given before shots were fired, whether any dashboard or body camera video exists, or whether investigators recovered a weapon. They also have not released the man’s age, hometown or the exact reason deadly force was used after the pursuit came to an end. Those gaps are likely to shape public scrutiny as investigators begin interviewing officers, reviewing evidence from the highway corridor and reconstructing the final seconds of the encounter.
The location adds to the case’s importance. Highway 26 is a major east-west route through Clackamas County and a common path for residents, freight traffic and travelers headed toward the mountain communities around Brightwood, Welches and Government Camp. Officer-involved shootings on highways or in small commercial districts often draw immediate attention because the setting can include bystanders, nearby businesses and passing traffic. In this case, police have not said whether civilians saw the shooting or whether any nearby surveillance cameras captured the stop. The mention of the Barlow Trail Roadhouse places the final confrontation in a visible stretch of Welches rather than on a remote shoulder. That matters for investigators, who will likely sort through witness accounts, vehicle positions, radio traffic and any video from patrol units or businesses in the area. For now, though, none of that evidence has been released publicly.
The inquiry is being led by the Clackamas County Major Crimes Team with the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, a standard arrangement in serious use-of-force cases involving police in the county. That process typically includes securing the scene, collecting physical evidence, separating involved officers, conducting interviews and preparing findings for prosecutors to review. Oregon State Police has not announced when the man’s identity will be released, and authorities have not said when a fuller narrative of the encounter may be made public. It is also not yet clear whether the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, whether autopsy results will be released, or whether the district attorney will hold a briefing. The next formal update could come once investigators notify relatives, identify the man and complete initial evidence collection from the highway stop and surrounding area.
By Monday, the case stood as a developing test of what officials can explain and how quickly they can explain it. The first public account established the basic timeline but left the central issue unresolved: what happened after the fleeing driver came to a stop. That unanswered question is likely to define the next phase of the investigation. Residents and travelers passing through Welches were left with a brief official timeline, a fatal outcome and a crime scene tied to one of the county’s most traveled roads. As investigators continue their work, the strongest confirmed details remain the simplest ones: a suspected impaired-driving stop, a chase of about five miles and a man dead after police gunfire near the end of the pursuit.
The case remained under investigation Monday, with officials expected to release the man’s identity and more details once the first round of evidence review and family notification are complete.
Author note: Last updated April 13, 2026.