ISP trooper dead after being hit by vehicle
INDIANAPOLIS — “Here we are again.”
That were the opening words of Superintendent Doug Carter in a press conference at Eskenazi Hospital Wednesday night as he was giving an update on trooper Aaron Smith, who died after a vehicle struck him on Interstate 70 eastbound while leading officers on a pursuit of Ronald Reagan Parkway.
Smith was deploying stop sticks to try to stop the vehicle that was stolen before being struck.
“He was one of those guys that stood out,” Carter said. “We all know who those people are. That’s what I’ll always remember about him.”
Smith died from his injuries just before 11 p.m.
The motorcade carrying Smith’s body left Eskenazi Hospital just before 1:30 a.m. Thursday and arrived at the Marion County Coroner’s Office a short time later.
Carter said Smith had been with ISP since 2018 but left for a time before returning to the force.
“He was a shining star for the state police,” Carter said.
Smith is survived by his wife and did not have children, Carter said.
“I would trade places if I could take away her pain,” he said.
Smith was a native of Whiteland and a 2008 graduate of Whiteland High School. He joined the Army National Guard in 2011 and joined ISP in 2018. He previously worked in insurance and construction.
Smith was just honored last year with two Lifesaving Awards. On Oct. 22, 2022, he and another trooper (Hunter McCord) helped save a woman who had been shot off I-70. They were commended for their extraordinary conduct in saving the life of a fellow human being.
In Nov. 2022, Smith was patrolling the area of West and Washington streets where he initiated a traffic stop after a vehicle disregarded a red light. The driver got out of the car and advised Trooper Smith he had been shot. Smith returned to his car to retrieve his first aid kit and helped the driver, who had been shot in the upper left arm and left hand and immediately applied a tourniquet to the victim’s left arm. His actions stopped the bleeding.
“Ever since I’ve been superintendent, I’ve promised family members that I’d do everything I could do to take care of them. But I couldn’t take care of him tonight. I just couldn’t,” Carter said.
State police are still investigating the crash and reviewing body camera footage from the incident. Carter also said that his partner and other troopers witnessed the incident and will be offered counseling.
The driver of the stolen vehicle, whose name was not shared by police, crashed after hitting Smith. State police say the driver and two passengers were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
“These kinds of things happen, and it’s really prevalent, it seems,” Carter said. “We’ve gotta keep doing what we do. We’ve gotta believe that the vast majority of people are good people and honorable people.”
Gov. Holcomb’s statement regarding fallen Trooper Aaron Smith:
“Janet and I offer our deepest condolences to the wife, family, and close friends of Trooper Aaron Smith. Trooper Smith lived and died a hero. His everlasting inspiration is a painful reminder of what the best among us sacrifice every day when they leave the house. I encourage every Hoosier so inclined to right now stop and shower Trooper Smith’s bride with prayer and be there for his fellow law enforcement members so shaken by this heartbreaking loss.”
Source: FOX 59 Indianapolis
