By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – The McLean County coroner said it was a man from Brimfield, near Peoria, who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after leading police on a chase ending near Bloomington-Normal.

Paul Smith, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene in the eastbound lanes of I-74 near Mitsubishi Motorway. State Police said Smith was wanted in Peoria County for felony domestic battery and otheer charges.

A Deer Creek police officer spotted Smith’s pick-up truck and started the pursuit.

State Police Trooper Ross Green said officers fired no gunshots during the encounter.

“Before officers could approach the subject vehicle, they heard one gunshot come from within the subject vehicle,” said Trooper Green.

“They observed the male subject in the vehicle with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” Green also said.

Coroner Kathy Davis said preliminary autopsy results revealed Smith died from a penetrating contact gunshot wound, which means he was shot at close range. Pending toxicology results will indicate whether drugs or alcohol were in Smith’s body when he died.

The chase and shooting caused a mile-long traffic back-up on eastbound I-74. Police diverted traffic off the interstate at Carlock for more than two hours.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]