AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – An officer was struck by a car in Aurora overnight, and a police chase that followed the incident ended in a deadly shooting.

It began just before 4 a.m. Monday when the Aurora officer was struck and injured by a vehicle at East Alameda Avenue and Interstate 225. Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz said at a news conference that the officer stopped to help what he believed to be a stranded motorist.

“One of the occupants exited, got out and frankly, viciously attacked my officer,” Metz said. “The suspect tried to kill our officer.”

Metz said the suspect then stole the officer’s patrol car. Chris Lindsay, who was on his way to work, witnessed the incident.

“I saw a uniformed police officer on the other side of the guard rail running up towards his patrol car,” Lindsay said. “And then at that time the police car had made another abrupt U-turn and went down the right way of the ramp, and at that time I saw the officer draw his gun on the other side of the guard rail and shoot about six to eight rounds.”

“Even though he was injured severely he was able to give us directions to which way the vehicle was traveling,” Lt. Scott Torpen with Aurora police said.

A pursuit of the suspect ensued for a couple miles with speeds of up to 65 miles per hour. It ended at East Alameda Parkway and East Kentucky Avenue, where shots were fired.

“The suspect got out of the vehicle and he was ordered numerous times to give up, to stop, to put his hands up,” Torpen said. “He did not comply with those orders and at that time our officer did fire at the suspect.”

The suspect was pronounced dead on the scene.

The officer who was hit by the vehicle was described as having serious bodily injuries, but is expected to survive. Police released a photo of a deep gash in the officer’s forehead.

Road closures were put in place, at westbound Alameda at I-225 and the northbound I-225 ramp to Alameda.

So far, the identities of those involved in the incident haven’t been released but Metz said the injured officer has been with Aurora police for three years. He and two other officers on the scene are on administrative leave.

Metz said at this point they don’t know what motivated the man to attack the officer. The other individual who was in the suspect’s car was arrested.

Denver police are assisting in the investigation.