PETERSBURG – The city firefighter accused of being drunk behind the wheel of a fire engine when it collided with a parked car made its first appearance in a Petersburg courtroom Friday morning.
Meanwhile, a city councilor who labeled the events of the July 23 incident “irresponsible behavior” on both the firefighter and the city for not stopping him, says an “absence of proper leadership” within the Petersburg Bureau of Fire contributed to the outcome. Ward 1 Councilor Marlow Jones also said that a city intern was inside the truck with Aaron Michael Hinspater when the incident occurred, adding that the intern’s presence “underscores the severity of this situation.”
Hinspater, 34, of North Chesterfield, was arrested on one misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated-first offense when the engine he was driving sideswiped a parked car during a training exercise in downtown Petersburg. He blew a .145 blood alcohol count in onsite breathalyzer tests and admitted to the arresting police officer that he drank 18 beers just hours before showing up to work for the training.