A Houston man faces several felony charges after a dangerous high-speed chase involving Texas County Sheriff’s Department deputies on Feb. 9.
Stanley W. Smith, 53, of 8098 Indiana Road in Houston, is charged with two counts of first-degree assault – serious physical injury or special victim (a class A felony), first-degree property damage (a class D felony), driving while revoked (class E felony level) and resisting arrest by fleeing – creating a substantial risk of injury or death (a class E felony), along with misdemeanors of operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner and failure to stop at a stop sign.
According to a probable cause statement, a deputy who was assigned to assist other deputies with the execution of a 96-hour commitment warrant issued for Smith responded to his residence. As officers approached, Smith reportedly fled in a Ford F-250 pickup.
As deputies activated their patrol vehicles’ lights and sirens, Smith refused to stop and drove through a pasture and fence, exiting onto Ridge View Road and heading north. A high-speed chase ensued, with officers reportedly following Smith on Union Road, Highway 38 and northbound Highway FF, where Smith almost collided with a car in the oncoming lane.
With deputies still in pursuit, Smith turned onto Highway AJ and then onto Roubidoux Road, where he reportedly threw metal objects at a deputy’s vehicle. He then crossed over Highway M and onto Turley Road, driving very close to an ATV with two riders on it as he crossed the highway.
After traveling north on Turley Road for a while, Smith reportedly drove through the yard of a residence and headed back south before driving into a pasture and then going back to southbound Turley Road. He then encountered a patrol vehicle with two deputies inside and rammed it with his truck, making it undriveable and causing the officers to require medical attention.
Smith then entered another pasture, got out of his truck and fled on foot into a heavily forested area. With personnel from the Houston Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol assisting (including Houston’s police dog), a thorough search of the area was conducted, but Smith wasn’t found.
Officers searched his abandoned truck and found his wallet. A check of his criminal history revealed prior convictions of resisting arrest by fleeing and several counts of assault.
Smith was later apprehended and is held without bond in the Texas County Jail.