A routine traffic stop turned into a crime scene on Friday morning, as gunfire was exchanged and a New York State trooper was shot on Interstate I-88 in Duanesburg. The trooper, Richard Albert was shot in the arm, transported to Ellis Hospital in stable condition and later released.

Police say after the trooper pulled the vehicle over for going above the speed limit, around 100mph, the suspect fled the scene, resulting in a manhunt in which police say the shooter was found not far from the scene on Darby Hill Road, where the suspect was suffering from self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect, 32-year old Nelson Troche of Schenectady, NY, was transported to Albany Medical Center via helicopter, where he was declared dead.

Police say after being stopped, Troche, sitting in the passenger seat, reached across the driver’s side window and fired at Trooper Albert as he approached the window. The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody after fleeing on foot.

But, during a time where several trucks were on the Interstate, police say one helped keep the suspects from getting away following the interaction.

“There was actually one tractor trailer that did assist our trooper,”Richard Allen, NYS Police Deputy Superintendent says. “He actually pulled in front of into the car so that car didn’t take off.”

Allen says once the suspect fled, there was a search in the nearby woods, where the K9s and troopers found the suspect.

“I can’t express enough how well our troopers handled this, from Trooper Albert to the search of the suspect in the wooded area afterwards, I think our guys did a phenomenal job and it was textbook the way it was handled,” Allen says.

State Trooper shot while conducting a traffic stop on I-88

There was a heavy police presence on I-88 in Duanesburg on Friday morning. According to New York State Police, Trooper Richard Albert was shot in the upper left arm when he conducted a traffic stop on the interstate.

Retired Troy Police Captain, John Cooney, tells NEWS10 this is a fear officers face on a daily basis. They train for the possibility it could be their reality.

“When that gun is out the window, everything goes through your mind. Not only your tactics but your life, your family your whole existence because it’s a second could cause a lifetime of distress,” said Cooney.

Cooney says police will be on heightened guard.

“From this point on, they’re going to have to understand there’s going to be a hyper vigilance factor. The police are going to remember that that an officer was shot today,” said Cooney.

In a press conference on Friday afternoon, New York State Police say Trooper Albert observed a silver SUV traveling over 100 miles per hour on I-88. Trooper Albert conducted a traffic stop, and as he approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, the operator put down the window and opened fire.

Trooper Albert was struck in the arm and returned fire. The shooter and a passenger then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The uninjured passenger was taken into custody shortly after.

Police located the shooter approximately an hour and a half later in the area of Darby Hill Road in Duanesburg with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The shooter was taken to Albany Medical Center and later pronounced deceased. He has been identified as Nelson Troche, 32, of Schenectady.

Trooper Albert was treated at the Ellis Hospital. He was released from the hospital shortly after 5 p.m. Investigations are ongoing. There is no threat to the public.