State-Journal.com - Killed driver called a hero, suspect shoots himself

Photo By SubmittalWilliam Scott Miller, 42, was one of two people killed in freeway shootings which happened on Monday.

Texas officials are praising the heroism of the Frankfort man who managed to control the semi-truck he was driving after being mortally wounded in a rush-hour shooting in Dallas Monday evening.

Police believe former Utah State Trooper Brian Smith, 37, is responsible for fatally shooting William Scott Miller, 42, of Waverly Lane, and a Texas man, Jorge "George" Lopez. The suspect is in critical condition on life support after he shot himself in the head early Tuesday after a brief standoff with police.

Dallas police Lt. Craig Miller spoke highly of Scott Miller, calling his efforts to control the semi-truck he was driving after being wounded "heroic."
"Despite being mortally wounded, he was able to control his rig to the point where other drivers weren't injured," he said.

Miller worked as an independent contractor driving semi-trucks pulling United Van Lines trailers.

He had just unloaded a shipment in Dallas when he was shot while driving on Interstate 635 at about 5:45 p.m.

Miller died before he could return to Frankfort to be with his wife, Shannon, his stepson and their 5-year-old daughter for Christmas.

Shannon Miller told The Lexington Herald-Leader her husband was never home more than two or three days at a time.

"We'd been trying to get him off the road for a while now," she said. "He was gone too much. We didn't see him enough."

She was to pick up her husband Tuesday afternoon from the Louisville airport.
A number listed as the Millers' was disconnected Wednesday morning.

Spurlin Funeral Home in Lancaster, where Miller grew up, is handling arrangements for his burial.

Jim Spurlin said he expected Miller's family to meet Wednesday to finalize arrangements.

Spurlin said services would likely be Monday.

Dennis Tolson, of Vincent Fister, Inc., a Lexington trucking company Miller contracted for, told The State Journal Tuesday, "You could imagine the sorrow, shock and violence of it all. It's a senseless death."

According to Tolson, a Scott Miller memorial fund has been set up in his name at Central Bank in Lexington.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this point," Tolson said.
United Van Lines posted a statement on its Web site Tuesday honoring Miller, calling his death "senseless."

"He will be greatly missed," the statement said, calling Miler an asset to the company personally and professionally.

"He was a great guy. It's definitely a loss," Jennifer Bonham, United Van Lines spokeswoman, told The State Journal Tuesday.

Police said the victims appeared to have been selected at random.

Dallas police Lt. Craig Miller said they linked Smith to the killing in Dallas because the bullets from the standoff were a match.

The weapon was a high-caliber semiautomatic handgun, Miller said.
Police declined to comment on another death in neighboring Garland because it was outside their jurisdiction.

Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said his department has not been able to make a definitive connection between Smith and the killing there, but acknowledged that he fit the description of the highway shooter: a balding, 40ish white man.
"We certainly hope it is him," Harn said. "But we are going to have to see more concrete evidence."

A spokesman with the Utah Department of Public Safety said Smith had been a trooper since 1996 but resigned in May because of "personal issues." Smith, who was a sergeant in the Utah Highway Patrol, had his peace officer certification revoked following a January incident.

According to a report by the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training investigations bureau, Smith drank two pints of hard liquor and drove his patrol car home. When he arrived, he summoned his clergyman, who sat with him in the patrol car. Smith held a gun to his own head and threatened to kill himself. The clergyman eventually grabbed the gun when Smith placed it on the dashboard. Smith later confirmed the details of the incident to an internal investigator.

Smith was taken to a hospital for treatment and a psychological evaluation, according to the report, The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday in its online edition.

"Smith also admitted, in the past, he had stolen and used Demerol and one Ambien tablet from his father-in-law's dental office," the report says. "Smith's abuse of alcohol and prescription medications started after an on-duty traffic accident."

A Utah Department of Public Safety investigation found that Smith drove under the influence, committed theft and was engaged in conduct that would "tend to disrupt, diminish or otherwise jeopardize public trust and fidelity in law enforcement."

"Up to that point, he was an amazing person. Very motivated, very career-oriented," said Sgt. Jeff Nigbur of the Utah Highway Patrol, who described Smith as a good friend. "He served this state very well."

Smith resigned after 12 years and moved to Keller with his family, said Nigbur.
Southlake authorities obtained a warrant for Smith's arrest in connection with a Dec. 17 robbery of a woman in a suburban shopping center parking lot. The woman was sitting in a vehicle when a man approached and shot a liquid in her eyes, temporarily blinding her.

"He had some type of squirt gun," said Southlake police spokesman Mike Bedrich. When she covered her face, the suspect took her purse.

Detectives later identified Smith on surveillance footage using the woman's credit cards.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.