The Highway Patrol reports Sheriff Roger Smiley was pursuing an alleged fleeing suspects vehicle last night when the car he was driving ran off a road in southeastern Mercer County about five miles southwest of Harris.
The state patrol said it was 8:40 last night when Sheriff Smiley was southbound on Route J. During a pursuit, investigators said the sheriffs’ car crested a hill, became airborne, struck the road sharply, went into a counter-clockwise spin and traveled off the east side. The sheriff’s car, a 2014 Dodge Charger, then struck a utility pole, a fence, and a number of hay bales setting the hay on fire and demolishing the car.
65-year-old Roger Smiley of Milan, Sheriff of Sullivan County, was described by the highway patrol as sustaining minor injuries. The report indicates he refused transportation at the scene after being checked by Mercer County Emergency Medical Services. He was wearing a seat belt.
Assisting the highway patrol at the scene of the wreck Wednesday night were Mercer County sheriff’s office and EMS, Sullivan County Fire Department, Galt Fire and Rescue, Medicine Creek Fire and Rescue, plus additional EMS and fire units.
