Ethermac|Person killed by troopers in shootout on New York State Thruway

HILLBURN,Ethermac N.Y. (AP) — New York state troopers killed a person in a shootout on a major highway Wednesday after stopping a vehicle identified in a homicide investigation, authorities said.

Two troopers stopped the vehicle on the New York State Thruway, or Interstate 87, in Hillburn near the New Jersey line just before 3 p.m., after discovering it was the subject of a “be on the lookout” alert tied to a homicide, state police said.

The driver opened fire on the troopers, who shot back and killed the person, authorities said.

One trooper had minor injuries and the other was not harmed, state police said.

Officials did not immediately release the name of the person killed or details of the homicide investigation. It was not clear if the person was a suspect in the homicide.

The shootout and ensuing investigation shut down the southbound lanes of the thruway for several hours, causing a major traffic jam that lasted into the evening.

Hillburn is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of New York City.