INDIANAPOLIS — On Wednesday, Indiana State Trooper Aaron Smith was killed when a fleeing driver struck him on Ronald Reagan Parkway in Hendricks County.
ISP says the pursuit ended with the crash around 8:30 p.m., where Smith was deploying stop sticks to end the pursuit.
Smith, a Franklin native and 5-year veteran of the Indiana State Police, was a 2008 graduate of Whiteland High School and a member of the Indiana National Guard since 2011.
"I'm in my 11th year now and I've hired a lot of people," Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said. "He was one of those people who stood out. You all know who those people are. That is what I'll remember about him. He was a shining star in the state police."
On multiple occasions, WRTV crews have run into Trooper Smith as he helped neighbors in Johnson County during his off-duty time.
In April, following the tornadoes that left widespread damage in Whiteland, Rafael Sanchez ran into Smith and his wife Megan as they passed out hot dogs along the street to those cleaning up damage on their properties.
New: Indiana State Police Trooper Aaron Smith loved the community he served. I ran into him while off-duty passing out food to tornado survivors in Johnson County in March. @wrtv @IndyFOP86 @ISPIndianapolis pic.twitter.com/Q3XzNdHEtQ
— Rafael Sánchez (@RafaelOnTV) June 29, 2023
Just this past Monday, Smith was seen helping neighbors on Travis Road in Greenwood as they cleaned up damage left behind by an EF-2 tornado that touched down.
Always giving back. Trooper Aaron Smith and his wife showed up on Travis Road in Johnson County ready to help tornado victims. This was Monday. Last night he was killed in a police pursuit in Hendricks County. A devastating loss for our community. @wrtv pic.twitter.com/AqzaTYQxWO
— Lauren Casey (@Lauren_Casey) June 29, 2023
