Three county car chase leads to arrest
Vernon County Sheriff John Spears reported no one was injured in the three-county vehicle pursuit. Sheriff Spears and Sgt. Kenneth Frye, deputies from Vernon County, Crawford County and a Lansing officer helped set up for the roadblock that eventually stopped driver Mark Allan Smith, 50, of La Crosse. Both Sgt. Frye and Sheriff Spears were able to control the suspect vehicle to the side of the road, ending the pursuit.
Vernon County Sheriff John Spears emphasized that the suspect will be facing several charges as a result of his poor decisions and putting people’s lives in danger.
One person is in custody following a three-county car chase that ended just south of De Soto Sunday afternoon. The chase resulted in multiple charges against Mark Alan Smith, 50, of La Crosse.
According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Department, the chase began following a call to a home on State Street in La Crosse. Smith, who was driving a black Ford Expedition, told law enforcement he was suicidal and repeatedly told officers that he wanted to kill himself.
The pursuit of the suspect started in La Crosse and traveled southbound down Highway 35 into Vernon County. Vernon County Sheriff’s Department attempted to set up road spikes, but Smith swerved toward a ditch in an attempt to strike a Vernon County deputy.
The chase continued southbound into Crawford County, with reports of Smith swerving his vehicle into oncoming lane of traffic, becoming an even larger danger to the public. A second set of spikes was deployed which punctured two of the suspect’s tires. The suspect continued on Rush Creek Road and onto back roads leading to County Highway B and made it to Ferryville before heading northbound on Highway 35 again.
Moving road blocks were employed several times until a road block involving Vernon County Sheriff John Spears finally slowed the suspect down. Smith was stopped south of De Soto after ramming into the rear end of Sheriff Spears’ squad truck.
The total distance of the chase was about 29 miles.
Smith was detained and no one was hurt during the incident.
Law enforcement from the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, Vernon County Sheriff's Department, Crawford County Sheriff's Department and several other agencies were involved in the chase, including calls to Allamakee County, should Smith have attempted to flee towards Iowa.
Sheriff Spears said at one point, the suspect was the on the phone with the City of La Crosse Police Department and told dispatchers he was going to “hit the next police officer who got in his way.”
Smith was booked into the La Crosse County Jail, but will also face additional charges in Vernon and Crawford Counties, according to Sheriff Spears.
