Car Chase Ends in Drug Charges

A San Angelo man was arrested on Thanksgiving after leading police on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash in northwest San Angelo.
Just after midnight on Thursday, November 28, 2013, Sgt. C. Heronema observed a white, 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck run a red light at Dallas St. and Jefferson St.  Sgt. Heronema activated his patrol unit’s emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop on the truck, however; the driver refused to stop and continued to travel westbound on Dallas St.

The driver, later identified as Raymond C. Smith of San Angelo, accelerated his speed and continued to evade police through several streets and an alleyway before losing control of the truck at the northeast corner of Waco St. and Wichita Ave.  After Smith crashed into a traffic sign, he was ordered out of the vehicle and taken into custody.  Smith was reportedly not injured during the pursuit or crash.

During a search of Smith incident to his arrest, police found a small bag of marijuana, a prohibited weapon, drug paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking, and a small bottle that contained approximately 1.05 grams of a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Police also located a bag of approximately 2.08 grams of methamphetamine in the street where Smith first lost control of the truck.

Police K9 Team Officer J. Fincher and Service Dog Fritz responded to the scene to conduct a search of the truck.  Once inside the truck, Fritz “sniffed” the interior and gave positive alerts to the compartment area of the front seat.  Officers searched the area and located a Crown Royal bag that contained various items of drug paraphernalia as well as another bag that contained a substance that field-tested positive for approximately 17.6 grams of methamphetamine with packaging.

Smith was charged with Driving with an Invalid License/No Insurance, Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, Evading Arrest Detention with a Vehicle, and Manufacture Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1 >=4G<200G.

No one was injured during the pursuit or the crash.