Origins of fatal chase remain unknown

More details have emerged regarding the officer-involved crash that killed 19-year-old Dalton L. Smith in August.

One piece of information that is missing, however, is what initiated the pursuit by the Country Club Village Police Department immediately prior to the crash.

The St. Joseph man died on Aug. 17 when his motorcycle slammed into the back of a Missouri State Highway Patrol car on U.S. Highway 71 north, two miles west of Savannah, Mo.

According to reports obtained through a public records request, Chief Richard Scott of the Country Club Village Police Department was in pursuit of Mr. Smith, both of whom were reaching speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour. An audio recording of Mr. Scott's radio traffic indicates he was directly behind the suspect's motorcycle, when at 1:36 p.m. he radioed for help from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

A trooper, Cpl. Travis L. Williams, indicated he was in position in the median of the four-lane highway, when he saw the motorcycle in the driving lane with a police car directly behind it. In an attempt to warn a SUV that was in front of the chase, Mr. Williams activated his emergency lights and pulled into the northbound passing lane.

Less than a minute after he was called to assist, the crash occurred.

"At this time, I noticed the motorcycle accelerated at a high rate of speed around the SUV into the passing lane and I attempted to get into the driving lane to allow the motorcycle to stay in the passing lane," Mr. Williams' statement says. "When I made my lane change the motorcycle changed back to the driving lane at the same time and struck the rear end of my patrol car."

Mr. Scott's statement indicates Mr. Smith was unable to avoid the trooper, causing it to explode on contact and eject the driver over the top of the car. He was taken by LifeNet to Heartland Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Although the crash destroyed the trooper's car, Mr. Williams suffered only minor abrasions to his arm, the report said.

When asked by the News-Press why Country Club Village police had initiated a pursuit with the motorcycle, Mr. Scott said he had been advised by his counsel not to comment on the case. He did say, however, that he was not pursuing the suspect, but "just trying to catch up with him."

"There's extenuating circumstances, but we did not initiate a pursuit with him," he said.

The Highway Patrol's official crash report, however, consistently refers to the incident as a "pursuit" that was "initiated by the Country Village Police Department." Mr. Scott declined to elaborate on why he did not consider the incident a pursuit.

There may be some indication as to why Mr. Smith would run from police, however. According to an audio recording of the Highway Patrol's radio traffic, Mr. Smith did not have a motorcycle endorsement on his license. A dispatcher also advised troopers he had a warrant, but she did not provide details.

According to a report by the investigating trooper, Sgt. T.B. Gardner, a blood sample was taken from Mr. Smith at the hospital, but it has yet to be processed.

John Holleman, an attorney in Little Rock, Ark., who is representing Mr. Smith's family, said he has not filed any civil litigation. He declined further comment.

Bryan Groh, the lawyer who would be representing Country Club Village should there be a case, also declined comment on the incident.

Kim Norvell can be reached at kim.norvell@newspressnow.com. Follow her on Twitter: @KimNorvell.

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