MONROE COUNTY, Mich. – A Monroe man has been charged in connection to a police chase that involved a deputy crashing into a river over the weekend, officials said.
James Tillmon Smith, 66, was charged with fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing police and operating while intoxicated, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Smith remains at the county jail on those charges, and his bond was set at $5,000.
The sheriff’s office said that Smith has a prior record. This includes a felony traffic crime arrest in 2017, and he was arrested for operating while intoxicated in 2021.
These new charges are connected to a police chase just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, that started in Frenchtown Township and ended in Monroe.
Deputy Brandon Larkins tried to stop a blue Ford F-150 that Smith was driving at North Dixie Highway and Sandy Creek Road, but Smith didn’t stop.
A chase ensued, and they traveled west on North Dixie Highway, went south on Ternes Drive, west on Rose Street, and south on Detroit Avenue.
When they reached East Elm Avenue, Smith allegedly made a wide turn and sideswiped a utility pole. He continued driving west on East Elm Avenue until he suddenly stopped at railroad tracks near North Dixie Highway.
The sheriff’s office said the Monroe man exited the truck and began to approach officers. They said he did not follow orders and was tasered before officers took him into custody.
During the chase, a sheriff’s office vehicle left the roadway at East Elm Avenue and Detroit Avenue and entered the icy River Raisin. The deputy was briefly trapped but was able to escape the vehicle.
The deputy and the Monroe man were taken to an area hospital where they were treated for minor injuries.
The Monroe man has been arrested and charged.
The case is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact 734-240-7764.
