An Indiana state trooper died Wednesday night after he was struck by a suspect driving a stolen vehicle on the southwest side of Indianapolis earlier in the evening, officials said.
Trooper Aaron Smith, 33, was critically injured when he was hit after exiting his patrol car to deploy stop sticks during the pursuit of a stolen vehicle on Ronald Reagan Parkway at around 8:45 p.m., Indiana State Police said in a statement.
Smith, who had been with the department for five years, was taken to Eskenazi Hospital, where he later died.
"This young trooper was the best of us. He was a shining star with the state police," Superintendent Doug Carter said of Smith. "He didn’t survive tonight. I am usually not without words, but I don’t know what else to say besides the sadness continues to follow us. He was one of those guys who stood out."
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The superintendent confirmed to reporters that the trooper "was not pinned" but "was thrown through the air."
"This is a tremendously sad day for the entire Indiana State Police family. We will band together as we always do in support of Trooper Smith's family, friends and co-workers," Carter said in the written statement, adding that Smith is survived by a "young wife and a beautiful family."
"I would trade places [with Smith] if I could take away her pain," Carter said. "Ever since I have been superintendent I promised these young members I would do everything I could to take care of them and I couldn't take care of him tonight. I just couldn't."
The superintendent said Gov. Eric Holcomb, city leaders and other police leaders from across the country have reached out to him regarding the loss of the officer. While he said he was "most grateful" for the messages, he urged people to support the victim’s family and the other officers.
"Please, don’t worry about me, worry about them," Carter said. "Worry about this family and worry about these young troopers who were out there and saw this happen. That will haunt me and keep me awake."
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State police said there were multiple people in the vehicle that struck Smith, including the suspect, who was driving, and an adult and juvenile passenger. All three were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to survive.
Earlier this year, another Indiana State Police trooper was killed under similar circumstances.
In March, Master Trooper James Bailey was attempting to deploy stop sticks near mile marker 326 on I-69 in Dekalb County, when a vehicle fleeing police struck him. Bailey was transported to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
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Reminded of the earlier loss during the news conference Wednesday evening, Carter was asked what message he had for his officers and the community.
"We’ve got to keep serving those who care for us because we care for them. We’ve got to keep doing what we do," he said. "We’ve got to believe the vast majority of people are still good people and honorable people. It’s easy to say, ‘This is what we signed up for’ but we’re all expected to be something other than human."
"My heart goes out to the family of Indiana State Police Trooper Aaron Smith after his tragic death in the line of duty Wednesday evening," state Rep. Carey Hamilton wrote on Twitter. "Thank you for your service to our state, Trooper Smith and may you RIP."
Carter said "a pretty complex criminal investigation," which includes footage from Smith’s shift partner, who witnessed the crash, and dashcam footage, is underway.
The criminal investigation is "all hands on deck" for his team and other law enforcement agencies, Carter said.
"This is still an ongoing investigation. All findings will be turned over to the Hendricks County Prosecutor for review and determination of any further charges that may be filed," ISP added.
The Plainfield Police Department, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Plainfield Fire Department and troopers from neighboring Indiana State Police – Putnamville Post are all assisting in the investigation.
According to WTHR, Smith graduated from Whiteland High School in 2008, and later earned a degree in aviation management from Indiana State University. He also became a member of the Army National Guard in 2011 before joining Indiana State Police as a recruit in 2018.
