Lodi Police Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Saturday, December 10, 1977
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 14 years
Badge Number: 606
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: December 5, 1977
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 25 years
Captain Carl Summers was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while conducting an investigation.
While officers engaged in a foot chase with an auto theft suspect, Captain Summers remained behind with the stolen vehicle and the police cars on State Route 83 one mile north of Lodi. When the officers returned to the scene of the stop, they found his body in the roadway next to the vehicles.
Investigation revealed that the suspect, who had fled on foot, was part of a car theft ring. When he had failed to return with the stolen truck, two other members of the ring went to look for him. When they located the truck, they observed Captain Summers standing next to it. They intentionally struck him with their vehicle's side-view mirror.
Despite being critically injured, Captain Summers was able to fire two shots and struck the truck. The truck was found a short time later, and the suspects were arrested. Captain Summers slipped into a coma and succumbed to his injuries five days later.
Both suspects, age 24, were charged with murder. One was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide and sentenced to 2 to 5 years. The driver was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 6 to 25 years. He received an additional 10 years for motor vehicle theft.
Captain Summers was a United States Air Force veteran and had served with the Lodi Police Department for 7 years. He was survived by his wife and daughter.
A stretch of State Route 83 has been renamed Captain “Smokey” Carl Edward Summers Memorial Highway.