Driver dies after high-speed chase, self-inflicted gunshot wound in Kelso
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A driver is dead after a chase on Interstate 5 in Cowlitz County late Monday night.
According to the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, around 11:45 p.m., a deputy sheriff stopped a Mercedes SUV with no license plates on Tennant Way in Longview.
When the deputy approached the car, officials said it sped away, driving erratically, turning its lights on and off and hitting speeds over 100 mph on Interstate 5.
Eventually, deputies said the car left the road near Allen Street in Kelso, where it crashed.
Deputies said the driver had a serious head wound and the car smelled of alcohol and cannabis.
The driver was extricated from the vehicle and taken to a hospital, where they were later declared dead due to an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the vehicle, authorities said they found a stolen gun. Deputies also said that the driver was not registered to the vehicle, and they couldn't find the registered owner to confirm the car's status.
The investigation is still underway.