Seeing a line of emergency vehicles speeding down the road is not all that unusual. But seeing a fire truck run a police car off the road is a much rarer occurence.
A volunteer firefigher has been charged with a DUI after doing just that early on Saturday morning.
Police say 27-year-old Sean Swanson, a volunteer with Company No. 5 in Hamilton, Va., was driving a pumper truck at a high rate of speed on Harmony Church Road. A Loudoun County Deputy, driving in the opposite direction, had to steer his car into a ditch in order to avoid a collision with the truck.
The deputy was able to catch up with the fire engine and gave Swanson a series of field sobriety tests. He was arrested for driving under the influence and unauthorized use of vehicle. Four other passengers were also in the truck, all of them volunteers. Police say they too had been drinking, and they were released to a sober driver. The truck was picked up by a supervisor from the fire company.
The volunteers who were members of the Hamilton fire company all resigned from the force. Two other passengers in the truck, who were volunteers with nearby companies, have been suspended pending the investigation.
Additional charges may be forthcoming.
