Aaron Smith
FRANKLIN — An Indiana State Police trooper who lived in Franklin was killed during a police pursuit Wednesday night.
Trooper Aaron N. Smith, 33, was killed following a vehicle crash on Ronald Reagan Parkway, north of Interstate 70, in Hendricks County on Wednesday. Smith was a 2008 graduate of Whiteland Community High School.
He is survived by his wife, Megan, a teacher at the Clark-Pleasant Early Learning Center in Greenwood. Escorted by police, Smith’s body arrived at Swartz Family Community Mortuary in Franklin on Thursday afternoon.
“This is a tremendously sad day for the entire Indiana State Police family,” said Doug Carter, ISP superintendent. “We will band together as we always do in support of Trooper Smith’s family, friends and co-workers.”
Suspects in custody
State police said Smith, a five-year ISP veteran, was assisting other troopers on Ronald Reagan Parkway with a pursuit of a stolen 2016 Chevrolet Traverse around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday. He tried to de-escalate the pursuit by deploying stop sticks and was struck by the suspect vehicle and critically injured.
Emergency medical aid was rendered at the scene. Smith was rushed to Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis, where he died, according to ISP.
The suspect driver involved in the incident, along with an adult and a 15-year-old female passenger, were all transported to Indianapolis hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The driver and the adult passenger were later arrested and taken to the Hendricks County Jail.
The suspect driver, Eddie P. Jones Jr., 18, has been preliminarily charged with murder, a Level 1 felony. The adult passenger, DeMareon L. Curry, 19, has been preliminarily charged with auto theft, a Level 5 felony.
Both Jones and Curry are from Sikeston, Missouri, a town located in far southeastern Missouri near the Mississippi River.
State police say the 15-year-old found in the car was listed as a missing person from Missouri, and was expected to be turned over to Missouri authorities today. She is not facing charges from the incident.
The investigation is still ongoing. The Hendricks County prosecutor will make the final determination of the preliminary charges and will review the case for potential additional charges, according to ISP.
This is the second time this year that a state trooper has been killed while trying to deploy stop sticks. In March, Master Trooper James R. Bailey was working the scene of a crash on Interstate 69 in DeKalb County in northeastern Indiana when he tried to deploy stop sticks to slow pursuit. He was fatally struck, according to wire reports.
‘A shining star’
Carter, who leads the state police agency of more than 1,300 employees, was visibly emotional when he spoke to Indianapolis reporters about Smith’s death Wednesday night. Smith had first joined the agency when he was 18 before leaving for a little while and coming back.
“He was one of those guys that stood out, and y’all know who those people are,” Carter said. “That’s what I’ll always remember about him. … He was a shining star for the Indiana State Police.”
In April, Smith was presented with two lifesaving awards by Carter for his actions during two incidents in 2022. For the first, Smith and trooper Hunter McCord helped a woman who was shot in her car on Interstate 70 in Indianapolis on Oct. 22, 2022.
McCord gave Smith medical supplies, and Smith later packed the wound with gauze and applied pressure to it. The woman survived, and both Smith and McCord received the lifesaving award for their actions, according to an ISP press release from April.
Smith received the second lifesaving award for helping a man who was shot on Nov. 16, 2022. He was patrolling the area of West and Washington streets in Indianapolis when he pulled over a man after he saw him run a red light. The man had been shot in his arm and hand.
After grabbing a first-aid kit, Smith applied a tourniquet to the man’s arm, stopping the bleeding. Medics later took over life-saving measures and the man survived, ISP officials said.
Local, state officials react
Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp. officials called Smith a “proud Indiana State Trooper.” In a message to parents, students and staff, the district said their prayers go out to Smith and his wife, Megan.
“Aaron was a football player, #29, and a wrestler,” school board member Butch Zike said in the message. “He was a great individual who served as one of my office assistants and always made the most out of life. May he rest in peace.”
Smith was also a sergeant in the Indiana National Guard assigned to its transportation unit in Michigan City. He was an outstanding soldier, the Indiana National Guard said in a statement.
“Judging by his membership in the Guard and State Police, he had a desire to serve his community, state and nation, and he will be missed,” the statement says.
As news of Smith’s death spread, many local public safety agencies expressed their condolences to Smith’s family, friends and ISP on social media. Edinburgh, Franklin and Whiteland police, along with the Greenwood and Bargersville fire departments, were among the numerous agencies that made posts.
Smith’s death is an “extremely saddening” and difficult reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face while serving and protecting communities, Franklin Police Chief Kirby Cochran said.
“These next few days are going to be a difficult time for all of us in law enforcement and especially difficult for those who knew and served alongside Trooper Smith,” Cochran said. “Please keep them in your and prayers in the coming days. Trooper Smith, you may be gone but you will never be forgotten.”
Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess expressed his condolences to ISP on Thursday morning, offering assistance from the sheriff’s office if needed.
“It’s a very tragic incident that should’ve never happened,” Burgess said.
While Burgess did not know Smith personally, he knows his father, Garry W. Smith, and spoke with his family Thursday morning. The family is very ingrained in Johnson County and has done a lot of good, he said.
Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett said he was saddened by the news of Smith’s death.
“He was a true hero and lived his life protecting our community. We are forever grateful for his service,” Barnett said.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and his wife, Janet, also offered condolences, with Holcomb saying 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,” Holcomb said in a statement. “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.”
Daily Journal multimedia news editor Emily Ketterer contributed to this report.
