Zachary man arrested after hitting 12 vehicles on I-10 said he didn’t remember pursuit, crashes

Advocate, The (Baton Rouge, LA)

March 27-- Mar. 27--The Zachary man arrested after hitting 12 vehicles on Interstate 10 Tuesday afternoon told police he did not remember the pursuit or the multiple crashes, according to his arrest report filed by State Police.

Elias Smallsreed, 20, was arrested after a chase through East Baton Rouge and Ascension parishes, along both directions of Interstate 10.

Troopers initially attempted to pull Smallsreed over after they clocked his vehicle travelling 93 mph in a 65 mph zone in East Baton Rouge parish, the arrest report says. Smallsreed continued speeding eastbound along I-10, "changing lanes, driving on the shoulder and attempted to run vehicles off the roadway."

He exited onto La. 30 in Ascension Parish, but then reentered the interstate, traveling west along I-10 back into Baton Rouge, hitting 12 vehicles until finally becoming disabled near the Acadian Thruway exit, the report says.

Troopers noted in the report that Smallsreed had red, glassy, bloodshot eyes, his speech was slurred and that he was acting lethargic. They also found a plastic water bottle and a cut and melted straw in his vehicle. Those items, troopers said, can be aligned with drug consumption.

Smallsreed declined to take a field sobriety test or to provide a blood sample. Later, state District Judge Mike Erwin denied a search warrant for officials to draw Smallsreed's blood, saying such a procedure without consent is unconstitutional, the report says.

Smallsreed, of 1026 Hunters Run Ave., Zachary, was booked into Parish Prison on 12 counts of aggravated criminal damage to property and 12 counts of hit and run, as well as one count each of second-offense DWI, driving under suspension for a previous DWI, reckless operation, resisting an officer, aggravated flight from an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding and no insurance.

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