STURGIS, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Director of Public Safety for the city of Sturgis is stepping down following a crash and drunk driving investigation.
On Wednesday, the city commission accepted the resignation letter of Geoffrey Smith, who had 24 years of service with Sturgis.
46-year-old Smith was involved in a head-on crash on North Lakeview Avenue the night of August 15th when he swerved into the opposite lane and smashed into a parked vehicle, causing a chain-reaction crash which damaged three parked cars. Witnesses said Smith was visibly intoxicated at the time of the crash.
A statement from the City of Sturgis said Smith was taken to the Sturgis Hospital Emergency Room with minor injuries. He was then taken to the St. Joseph County Jail where the department requested a charge for operating while intoxicated. Smith was placed on administrative leave following the incident.
City Manager Mike Hughes says the resignation and separation agreement allows Smith to purchase a year of service credit, which gives him his full pension.
His resignation letter, obtained by WWMT, read, “I made a mistake, I am human, and accept full responsibly for what I have done.”
Smith was scheduled to be arraigned on August 27th in St. Joseph County but, due to potential conflicts of interest with the court and the prosecutor’s office, the arraignment is being delayed. A new date has not yet been set.
(reported by Jeana Gondek)
