Community Corner
Suspect Ejected After Chase Ends As 6-Car Pile-Up In North St. Louis
A police helicopter was used to find the car and SWAT officers laid down spikes to stop the car.
April 13, 2021
A 29-year-old man was killed after a police chase ends with six-car crash in north St. Louis Monday morning. Authorities in North City are handling a six-car crash that left several injured Monday morning. The fiery crash happened around 11:30 a.m. near Broadway and Taylor in the North Riverfront neighborhood. Police said officers initially spotted the 29-year-old Silas Smith, of north St. Louis, on the lot of a Speedy Gas Station in the 8800 block of N. Broadway, a location with a history of shootings and drug transactions. Officers circled back to the gas station a second time attempting to pull Smith over. He initially pulled to the side of the road but then led them on a chase. A police helicopter was used to find Smith's Dodge Challenger and SWAT officers laid down spikes to stop the car. The 29-year-old drove over spikes twice, ran a red light and was struck by a Jeep Cherokee near Broadway and Taylor. The impact caused the Challenger to spin around and collided with a Ford Fusion, sparking a chain-reaction crash with three other vehicles including a semi-truck. Smith was ejected from his car that quickly caught on fire. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition but died later from his injuries. Several others were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Investigators found a large bag of suspected narcotics in the suspect's hooded sweatshirt, a powdery substance and a gun.
