Most people expect those we rely on when things go wrong – police, firefighters, and EMT’s – to be the last people accused of DUI. Especially when on duty. Unfortunately, all of these people are humans and have human vices.
The victim of an accident that occurred back in July 2013 has finally come forward in a deposition in a civil case. Jack Frazier was injured when his motorcycle was struck by a San Francisco fire truck. Frazier had the green light on Howard Street, but failed to notice the oncoming fire truck, which was responding to what turned out to be a false alarm.
The fire truck struck Frazier, causing him to slide into a fire hydrant. As a result of the crash, Frazier suffered from nine broken ribs, a punctured lung, a separated shoulder, along with a broken ankle and foot. His knee had to be reconstructed.
Frazier has filed suit against firefighter Michael Quinn and the city and county of San Francisco. This is because shortly after the accident, Quinn, who was driving the fire truck, went into the Chieftan Pub and downed the equivalent of three pitchers of water. Shortly after, he vomited into a trashcan in the corner. He had reportedly been consuming several shots of alcohol earlier in the day while on duty.
After being told that he would have to submit to a breathalyzer, Quinn disappeared for appoximately two hours before arriving back at the fire station. There, he failed three breathalyzer tests administered by his fellow firefighters. A blood-alcohol test performed 7 hours later showed a blood-alcohol content of 0.11. A county medical examiner used this information to determine the approximate blood-alcohol level at the time of the accident at 0.34 percent, more than three times the legal limit.
Quinn resigned from the department following the accident. The district attorney is still planning on pursuing criminal charges.
If you have been arrested on DUI charges, you only have a few days to save your license. If you live in the LA area, call our experienced attorneys today for a free consultation.
