ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A no-show in a St. Louis County courtroom Tuesday left questions about what’s next for a Hillsdale worker charged with accidentally running over a FOX 2 photojournalist.
St. Louis County Associate Circuit Judge Natalie Warner waited and waited for Earl Longmeyer, but he never showed up. Records show he’s the director of public works.
Longmeyer, 57, was caught on camera getting into the driver’s seat of a Village of Hillsdale Public Works truck and driving away. A trailer that the truck was towing accidentally ran over FOX 2 photojournalist Wade Smith.
Smith suffered serious leg injuries and is on his way to recovery.
Court records reveal the judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday afternoon for Longmeyer after failing to appear in court.
While Longmeyer did not appear in court Tuesday, the FOX Files found the same public works truck parked outside village hall on the wrong side of the street. It appears the village added a warning label to stay back 20 feet on the truck’s tailgate. It’s unclear whether Longmeyer was working.
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said last month that it’s something he’s never seen before in his years as a prosecutor or as an attorney.
“There’s no evidence that the intent was to harm,” Bell said.
The FOX Files went to Hillsdale in August to investigate why the village threatened to tow multiple cars for not having the proper village sticker.
Dorothy Moore, the chair of the Board of Trustees, who’s also known as the mayor, refused to answer why.
Court records allege Moore directed Longmeyer to drive and was aware members of the news media were standing along the passenger side of his vehicle and trailer and proceeded to drive at an excessive speed. Moore is not facing any charges.
Longmeyer has been charged with operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner – involving an accident.
FOX 2 reached out to Longmeyer by phone after the arrest warrant was issued, but the number had been disconnected.
The FOX Files reached out to village hall for comment but did not hear back.
