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Driver killed, officer injured after vehicle strikes St. Louis police cruiser Thursday

The officer, who suffered only minor injuries, was at the scene of a previous crash and waiting on a tow truck.

ST. LOUIS — A man was killed and a St. Louis police officer was injured after a police cruiser was struck by a vehicle early Thursday on Natural Bridge Avenue.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, one of its officers was at the scene of a prior hit-and-run crash at about 3 a.m. in the 4200 block of Natural Bridge Avenue.

The officer had his emergency lights on with his cruiser blocking the westbound lane due to a vehicle involved in the crash that was still partially in the road. He was waiting on a tow truck to arrive when his cruiser was struck by a Nissan Altima, police said.

The driver of the Altima was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified Friday as 40-year-old Mark Rhodes of St. Louis.

The officer, a 31-year-old with more than a year of service on the force, was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released.

Accident reconstruction responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.

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