A lengthy and dangerous chase ended with a drug bust and arrest on Parkway North Saturday evening.
Before the wild chase, officers and first responders rushed to a home on Kearsarge Street in Mount Washington after a panicked woman knocked on the door and begged for help. Police said she was covered in blood, naked and claimed she had been beaten up by Marc Smith.
Court paperwork shows Smith got into an argument with the woman over money. He allegedly strangled and beat her before fleeing in his blue Chevy truck just before 9pm on Saturday.
Police said Smith refused to stop and led them on a high-speed chase that lasted 20 minutes. The police chase began at the intersection of Sawmill Run and Woodruff Street toward the West End Bridge.
Officers said he drove at speeds of 100 miles per hour through several communities and tunnels in Allegheny County.
According to court documents, Smith weaved dangerously in and out of traffic, hitting numerous traffic cones along the way.
Police even threw down spike strips at least three times, ripping out a tire.
“We’re heading towards 376. He just lost one of his tires,” officers said over the dispatch radio.
Smith eventually lost control of his truck and struck a car before finally coming to a stop on 279 near the Chestnut Street exit. Traffic was backed up for miles.
Exclusive cell phone video shows the front of Smith’s truck completely crushed.
At 11 p.m., Smith was tased and handcuffed. According to court papers, an officer punched him in the back of the head while Smith was on the ground after he thought Smith was reaching for a gun near his waist.
Moments later, Smith’s truck caught fire.
“We have a fire in the engine of the Silverado,” officers said on the police scanner.
According to the police paperwork, detectives searched the truck and found 65 blocks of heroin, along with crack cocaine and pills.
Detectives said Smith admitted to stealing prescription pills from people. They also said he was driving with a suspended driver’s license.
Smith is now in the Allegheny County Jail facing several charges, including reckless driving and possession of drugs with intent to deliver.
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