(COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C.) — A veteran state trooper in North Carolina was shot dead while making a traffic stop early Wednesday, authorities said. The deadly confrontation unfolded when Kevin Conner, an 11-year veteran, stopped a pickup truck for speeding in Columbus County just after midnight, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety said. The driver pulled onto the shoulder, and when Conner approached, the driver allegedly fired several shots, authorities said. The suspected shooter then fled the scene and led police on a car chase, authorities said. His car became stuck while trying to drive over a railroad crossing, authorities...