KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (May. 18, 2026) — A pedestrian was killed early Saturday after being struck by a commercial truck on Highway 97 near Klamath Falls, according to the Oregon State Police.
State police said troopers responded to the crash at about 4:14 a.m. Saturday near milepost 264 in Klamath County.
Investigators said a white Freightliner commercial motor vehicle driven by Shawn Christopher Kunze, 43, of Yreka, California, was traveling southbound on Highway 97 when it struck a pedestrian in the roadway.
The pedestrian was identified as Modoc Shadley, 18, of Klamath Falls. Authorities said Shadley was wearing dark clothing and walking in the southbound travel lane for unknown reasons at the time of the collision.
Shadley was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kunze was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, police said.
The highway was impacted for about two hours while investigators processed the scene.
The Oregon State Police said the agency’s Collision Reconstruction Unit responded to investigate the crash. The unit specializes in investigating fatal and serious injury crashes across the state using advanced crash reconstruction techniques and unmanned aircraft systems.
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, Klamath Falls Police Department and Oregon Department of Transportation assisted at the scene.
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