Photographer Rundown by Politician Trying to Get Away

Okay, before I get to the story on this, there is something strange happening here.

A Photographer from Nexstar’s KTVI (St. Louis) was rundown by the car of a St. Louis politician that was trying to duck and interview with the station. Looking at the Nexstar station’s website, they have not reported on the incident.

Strange since a couple of local papers reported the story, along with a competing station.

Why is Nexstar not reporting the story?

So here is what happened, according to the Riverfront Times. KTVI Reporter Mitch McCoy, showed up at city hall with Photographer Wade Smith to speak with Hillsdale Chairwoman Dorothy Moore. McCoy has been reporting extensively in north county in recent weeks. His "Towed Away" series investigated municipal governments towing people's cars from their own driveways due to expired tags.

Smith's attorney Chet Pleban says that Smith and McCoy got to city hall seeking to talk to Moore but were told she wasn't there. However, the two recognized Moore's vehicle parked outside and suspected they were being lied to. 

At some point Moore went out the back door and got into a vehicle that had a trailer hitched to its back. Pleban says another municipal employee was behind the wheel, with Moore in the passenger seat.

"My understanding is somebody that works for their public works department hopped in the truck to assist her in the getaway," Pleban says. "As crazy as that sounds."

Smith was struck by the trailer as the two fled. Pleban says that the cameraman was laid out on the ground, unable to get up. "Bone was sticking out," Pleban says. "It's gonna take a while to heal. No question about that."

Pleban says that Moore and the driver drove off, not stopping to see if Smith was all right or to assist him in any way. 

McCoy and Smith called 911, and it took about 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. 

Pleban says that as far as he knows, a camera was rolling at the time of the incident, but that footage is now in the custody of Fox 2. 

KTVI has yet to broadcast a story about the incident, or the underlying story McCoy and Smith were working on. The station also has yet to release a comment and did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Post-Dispatch yesterday, nor to one this morning from the RFT.

The Hillsdale Police Department says that police in nearby Velda City are handling the investigation into the incident.