Posted: 8/22/2010 6:02:37 AM EDT
For future reference, when the State Patrol calls you to tow a drunk driver's vehicle, do not arrive at his traffic stop while you're under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
It is detrimental to your occupation. 
That is all. 
Disclaimer: I am not a Trooper, but we had a hearty WTF-style laugh when we heard the Trooper ask for a HEAT unit to assist him with his stop. 
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...and medical examiners
...when arriving to the scene of a 4 person fatality accident involving a DUI suspect. |
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I was sent to a single-vehicle crash; was a City Fire arson investigator (same rank as a Fire Captain) who met a traffic control standard (24" diameter steel pipe support) on a corner at about 55 mph AOI. Ambulance had already taken him and fire was there, but had to leave for a structure fire a couple miles away. Totalled the car, which had tens of thousands of $ of equipment in the trunk; fire hadn't cut the battery cables and when tow truck pulled car away from pole, it arced and car went up in flames.
Went to hospital to contact him, and smelled him before I got into the triage enclosure....he was a .26 bac IIRC. Got samples drawn, and he later retired before he got fired. He was a great guy, everybody liked him, and I'd worked around him a few times in the past. I interviewed the three firemen who had been working with him on a cold fire scene the three hours immediately before the crash. None of them noticed anything wrong with him at the scene, at which he had to be at least a .30. Firemen at the crash didn't notice anything either, nor did the EMTs that transported him. 
Later found out he had a felony DUI/hit and run in another City car in another county two years before while at a training seminar; was allowed to plead to a wet reckless. City had paid out about $400K to settle the claims from that wreck. He got County jail time over the new wreck, and had to reimburse the City for the burned car and equipment. |
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Many years ago, we were on a structure fire for another dept that had no hydrants in the area. We're inside and they cut us down on water because we're running low and tankers are delayed. Deputy is following my (then) fire chief to the call and witnesses the accident the chief had when he couldn't remember to press the clutch in to down shift
He was at double the legal limit. Bama, it was around 2000 or so, liberty vfd, if you were around during that time frame. |
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Quoted:
Many years ago, we were on a structure fire for another dept that had no hydrants in the area. We're inside and they cut us down on water because we're running low and tankers are delayed. Deputy is following my (then) fire chief to the call and witnesses the accident the chief had when he couldn't remember to press the clutch in to down shift
He was at double the legal limit. Bama, it was around 2000 or so, liberty vfd, if you were around during that time frame. I left the area around 84. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Many years ago, we were on a structure fire for another dept that had no hydrants in the area. We're inside and they cut us down on water because we're running low and tankers are delayed. Deputy is following my (then) fire chief to the call and witnesses the accident the chief had when he couldn't remember to press the clutch in to down shift
He was at double the legal limit. Bama, it was around 2000 or so, liberty vfd, if you were around during that time frame. I left the area around 84. you're old dude.
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Quoted:
I am just stupified about the number of people who show up at court and stand in front of the judge drunk off their ass. Or the ones who drive themselves to court to answer to a "suspended license" charge. I wish we could just charge people for being stupid. Sort of like the people that call 9/11 for their vacant rental house being on fire, and they ahve two gas cans and left over road flares in the bed of their pick up?
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I am just stupified about the number of people who show up at court and stand in front of the judge drunk off their ass. Or the ones who drive themselves to court to answer to a "suspended license" charge. I wish we could just charge people for being stupid. Sort of like the people that call 9/11 for their vacant rental house being on fire, and they ahve two gas cans and left over road flares in the bed of their pick up? Or the guy that called us the other day and wanted to file a theft report because someone stole his marijuana.
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I am just stupified about the number of people who show up at court and stand in front of the judge drunk off their ass. Or the ones who drive themselves to court to answer to a "suspended license" charge. I wish we could just charge people for being stupid. Sort of like the people that call 9/11 for their vacant rental house being on fire, and they ahve two gas cans and left over road flares in the bed of their pick up? Or the guy that called us the other day and wanted to file a theft report because someone stole his marijuana. Girlfriend took a complaint on one of her deputites the other night from someone that upon release from jail, got their stuff back and their marijuana was missing
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