John Raby

Associated Press

CHARLESTON (AP) — A West Virginia state trooper was killed Tuesday night and three others injured in back-to-back shootings that also left the suspect dead.

Two troopers noticed the suspect was driving erratically and pulled over his vehicle about 8 p.m. at the Wallback park-and-ride off Interstate 79 in Clay County, 37 miles east of Charleston, said West Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Baylous.

During an altercation, the suspect took one of the trooper’s guns. One trooper was killed and another wounded during a shootout, Baylous said.

The suspect fled and a short time later was spotted by a Roane County deputy and the pair were involved in a shootout. The suspect was killed and the deputy was injured, Baylous said.

A tow truck driver also was shot. Baylous didn’t know why the tow truck was at the scene.

He did not release the identities of those involved pending notification of family.

“This being a small rural area, we can’t put the names out until we get the chance to talk to everybody,” Baylous said.

The wounded trooper was taken to Charleston Area Medical Center’s General Hospital and Baylous said he was in very serious condition. The spokesman said the deputy had non-life threatening injuries, and he didn’t know the extent of the tow truck driver’s injuries.

A road near the park-and-ride remained closed late Tuesday night. Agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were responding to the scene, bureau spokesman George Huffman said.