A police officer in Kentucky died Christmas Eve while she conducted a traffic stop and was hit while inside her cruiser, which caught fire while she was trapped inside, WDRB.com reported.

Louisville Metro Police Detective Deidre Mengedoht, 32, served on the force for more than seven years and reportedly leaves behind a young son.

Roger Burdette, 60, was charged with murder of a police officer and DUI, the report said. Reports said that Mengedoht had her emergency lights on while conducting the stop on the I-64.

"It’s very devastating to the department," David James, the Metro Council president told WLKY.com. "The officers that work with these officers that we’ve lost, it’s devastating to them also. It’s a big loss for them. The police department is like one giant family and they love one another, so it’s just very hard.”