June 29, 2023

Indiana state trooper struck and killed by fleeing vehicle, officials say

Stock photo

Stock photo

An Indiana state trooper was struck and killed by a stolen vehicle being chased by police in suburban Indianapolis, officials said.
Trooper Aaron Smith was hit about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday while trying to place stop sticks on Ronald Reagan Parkway, north of Interstate 70 in Plainfield, state police said. Smith, 33, of Franklin, died after being taken to an Indianapolis hospital.
The driver and two passengers in the vehicle being chased were taken to Indianapolis hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter said investigators would be reviewing dashcam and body camera video of the crash. The Hendricks County prosecutor will decide on criminal charges from the chase and the death of Smith, who is survived by his wife.
Carter said he remembered Smith from when he went through police recruit training in 2018, calling him "a shining star within the state police.”

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