Brookhaven police officers got their man Saturday night after ashort chase on foot, and the apprehension may have saved thesuspect’s life.

Chief Pap Henderson said 26-year-old Chad Ryan Smith, of 704Shadyside Drive, was injured so badly in an accident he experiencedwhile fleeing the scene of an alleged robbery at Wilson Auto Salesthat he could have died had officers not discovered his place ofhiding.

“He could have been in serious trouble with those injuries,”Henderson said. “I feel very strongly that it was good the officersdid such a thorough search.”

Henderson said officers followed a blood trail from the wrecksite at the intersection of Congress Street and Whitworth Avenueacross the railroad tracks to Boyd’s Welding, situated in the oldArrington’s Welding Shop on the same block as Brookhaven OutreachMinistries.

By the time officers entered the building, Smith was injured sobadly he had to be carried outside and was on the verge of passingout, Henderson said.

Henderson said Smith had lacerations to his head and chest afterboth apparently broke the windshield and steering column,respectively, during the crash at 7:45 p.m. Saturday. Smith, in hisdriving haste, ran through the intersection and up the tracks’embankment, even though he had not yet been identified as asuspect, Henderson said.

“I have no idea what spooked him to start driving like he was,”Henderson said. “The officers were headed west and he passed themat a high rate of speed. By the time they turned around, he hadalready wrecked.”

The officers were heading to Wilson Auto Sales on Highway 51,Henderson said, where the businesses’ owner reported a truckleaving the grounds with a bed full of stolen wheels and tires. Butthe cops met Smith and the alleged stolen loot – some of whichspilled out onto the roadway during his short trip from Highway 51to the railroad tracks – halfway there.

Smith was taken by ambulance to King’s Daughters Medical CenterSaturday night and later transported to the University ofMississippi Medical Center in Jackson, where he is listed in goodcondition, said hospital administrative assistant Peggy Wagner.

Henderson said charges against Smith are pending.