A Pennsylvania fire chief has been charged after he was accused of crashing an emergency vehicle while driving with a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit.
North Hampton Fire Chief John Schwend faces two counts of driving under the influence and a count of reckless driving, KDKA-TV reports. The charges by North Franklin police stem from an accident on Dec. 15.
According to police, Schwend, who also is an Edgeworth Borough township manager, and another local fire chief were attending a Christmas party at a fire hall in Etna that night. After reportedly drinking at the party, the chiefs were driving home when they were pulled over by Hampton Township police.
The officer did not arrest the chiefs, and instead, he drove them to Schwend's home. But the chiefs didn't stay there and eventually headed back out on the road.
With Schwend behind the wheel, the emergency vehicle the chiefs were in crashed into two telephone poles, taking down power lines, according to KDKA. Police said Schwend's BAC measured 0.186 two hours following the crash.
“I could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the defendant’s breath, and the defendant exhibited slurred speech and glossy eyes," the arresting officer wrote in the complaint, according to KDKA. "The defendant stated he had only consumed 5-6 beers.”
