WORLD : Canadian Jets Crash; 1 Killed

KARLSRUHE, West Germany —  Two Canadian air force F-18 fighter jets collided near this southwestern city today, killing one pilot and showering the area with flaming debris, police said.

The other pilot landed in his ejection seat on a busy highway and was seriously injured, officials said. Police spokesman Manfred Frey said he could not confirm earlier reports that the pilot was hit by a car on the A5 autobahn.

Firefighters and police rushed to put out small fires started by the falling aircraft debris. At least two people on the ground were slightly injured. Much of the debris landed near the train station.

Baerbel Newman, a spokeswoman for the Canadian air force in Lahr, said the planes crashed about 4:10 p.m., south of Karlsruhe. The planes had taken off from a base near Rastatt, about 25 miles southwest of Karlsruhe.