By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The fire chief of the St. Louis suburb of Affton died Thursday morning after his car was hit by a car that a suspected shoplifter was driving.
Jerry Buehne, 64, had been Affton's chief for the past five years and had been with the fire protection district for nearly 40 years.
The suspected shoplifter was thrown from his car and seriously hurt.
Police say they were trying to pull over the other motorist as a suspect in a theft from a Walgreen's store when that driver refused to pull over. That motorist was a 44-year-old St. Louis County man.
Authorities add they were not chasing the suspect.