A Summersville man faces charges following a recent high-speed chase involved law enforcement, authorities said.
Brian K. Smith, 53, is charged with a felony charge of resisting arrest by fleeing, creating a substantial injury or death, after the Howell County incident.
According to court documents, a Howell County deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop in West Plains and turned on his emergency lights. The vehicle accelerated at a high speed in a chase that lasted 30 minutes. The vehicle crashed with the patrol car after the suspect braked hard and eventually a foot chase began for about 100 yards, the department said.
A criminal records check showed the suspect’s driver’s license is suspended and he has four convictions of driving while revoked or suspended, the deputy said.
In his complaint, Howell County Assistant Prosecutor Heath Hardman described Smith as a prior and persistent offender, and court records show guilty pleas on felony convictions, all filed in Howell County.
A warrant with a $10,000 cash or corporate surety bond was issued Jan. 26 and records show Smith posted bond Jan. 29. The case is being prosecuted by Hardman and Howell County Prosecutor Mike Hutchings.
Smith appeared in court recently before Associate 37th Circuit Judge R. David Ray for arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty, court records show. He has stated his intention to hire a private attorney and is next scheduled to appear in court March 11 for a counsel status hearing.