MITCHELL — A Sioux Falls man who led officers on a vehicle pursuit through residential parts of Mitchell in December and crashed into another vehicle during the chase has been sentenced to serve time in prison.
Shane Smith, 31, of Sioux Falls, was sentenced in early February to serve two years in prison with 53 days suspended for the felony eluding charge that resulted from the pursuit.
On Dec. 9, Smith fled from South Dakota Highway Patrol troopers when they attempted to make a traffic stop stemming from a complaint that alleged Smith was driving erratically along Interstate 90 earlier that evening. Highway Patrol troopers pursued Smith through high-traffic, residential areas of Mitchell around 9 p.m.
As troopers trailed Smith near downtown Mitchell, he struck a vehicle that was stopped at the intersection of Sanborn Boulevard and West Second Avenue.
According to Davison County Deputy State’s Attorney Robert O’Keefe, the victim who was hit by Smith sustained minor injuries, along with vehicle damage.
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Minutes after Smith struck the vehicle with troopers tailing him, he drove his car into a yard a few blocks away and fled on foot. Multiple street signs were run over by Smith prior to stopping his car in a Mitchell resident’s yard along West Second Avenue.
Mitchell Police officers assisted when Smith abandoned his vehicle and ran from the scene on foot. According to court documents, officers searched a few downtown bars and eventually located Smith near Main Street to bring the pursuit to a close.
Smith faced a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $4,000 fine for the aggravated eluding charge, which is a Class 6 felony.
Prior to imposing the two-year prison sentence, Judge Chris Giles emphasized to Smith that the incident could have led to even more serious public safety issues.
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