A driver opened fire on a North Carolina state trooper during a traffic stop early Wednesday, killing the 11-year Highway Patrol veteran, authorities said. The suspect was arrested after a chase.

Around 12:15 a.m., the trooper stopped the white pickup truck on suspicion of speeding on a highway in rural Columbus County southwest of Whiteville, said Highway Patrol First Sgt. Michael Baker. Baker said the driver shot Trooper Kevin Conner as he approached.

�The driver of that vehicle fired several shots, striking the trooper,� Baker told reporters.

The suspect fled and Conner was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Baker said the driver then headed about 20 miles west (32 kilometers) to Fair Bluff near the South Carolina state line, where authorities pursued him in a chase. The truck became disabled on railroad tracks in the town, and the suspect fled on foot. Authorities said the suspect was arrested around 4 a.m. after an extensive search.

Baker said the man, whose name wasn�t immediately released, was being held in the Columbus County jail pending charges.

The Highway Patrol said the Columbus County-based trooper was an 11-year veteran of the organization. Patrol commander Col. Glenn McNeill said the organization was �mourning the loss of a hero� as condolences poured in from law enforcement agencies on social media.

�Many will say he was the nicest guy you would ever meet and the ones that knew Kevin and family would agree,� the nearby Bladen County Sheriff�s Office said on Facebook.

WRAL-TV reported that Conner helped save lives after a 2011 fiery head-on crash in Columbus County. A WRAL article from that year said Conner used an extinguisher to put out flames, and he and another trooper provided first aid before paramedics arrived.

(AP)