Van Police Assist Smith County Troopers In Chase

By Donna Limberger

TOfficers recently assisted Smith County Department of Public Safety Troopers in the pursuit of a vehicle in a chase which began in Lindale.

According to a report by Van wo Van Police Officer Tim Scharfenberg, Van Zandt County Dispatchers advised all county officers that Smith County DPS was in pursuit of a vehicle and that the pursuit had started at US Hwy 69 (515 mile marker westbound) in Lindale and the vehicle was still failing to stop at that time.

Scharfenberg sat up at the westbound 540 mile marker. Smith County DPS advised him to try to deploy a spike strip to stop the vehicle.

The report went on to say that the officer went to the FM 314 overpass and tried to deploy the spike strips but the traffic was too heavy.

As the suspect vehicle passed, Officer Bobby Geddie of the Van Police Department also joined the pursuit. Another attempt was made to by Van Zandt County DPS to deploy the spikes but traffic was still heavy.

The suspect vehicle then exited the interstate at Tank Farm Road and the occupants fled the vehicle on foot.

Scharfenberg went through a drainage ditch filled with water and he, as well as Geddie, assisted Smith County DPS as they took the suspects into custody.

The suspects, a male and female, were taken to the Smith County Jail. The male suspect was a wanted felon out of Mississippi.