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An 81-year-old man was struck and killed Friday morning by lightning, police said.

Jay Freres, who had a lengthy career with the U.S. State Department, was out for a walk when a storm developed, police said.

Lightning struck him about 11:30 a.m. in a residential area near Sandpiper and Egret drives.

He was alone at the time.

During his career, Freres served as deputy chief of missions in Bahrain, according to the State Department. He also served in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Afghanistan, among other countries.

His first tour was in 1963 in Guatemala. He became a deputy chief of missions in 1989.

Freres also worked in the department's counter terrorism office from 2002 to 2005.