(WXYZ) — A local paramedic has been placed on unpaid leave after he allegedly drove an ambulance under the influence with a patient in the back.
The Detroit Fire Department issued a statement on Friday detailing the incident that happened around 1:10 a.m. on Dec. 1.
According to officials, the paramedic side-swiped three parked vehicles near Carpenter and Klinger in Hamtramck. A patient was reportedly in the back of the ambulance at the time and was not injured.
Fire department official comments on the paramedic incident on December 1
One of the vehicles struck belongs to Maroof Ali. He went outside to see the crash when he heard it inside his home.
"It was crazy," Ali said. "I mean, I couldn't believe it was drunk driving. A guy driving an ambulance is going to hit three cars at the same time? That’s crazy.”
Officials say the paramedic waited for police to arrive before being taken to a clinic and tested. According to the fire department, the paramedic was under the influence of alcohol at the time and was placed on unpaid leave pending additional review.
"We don't believe this is a regular occurrence," DFD Chief of Staff David Levalley said. "This is a particular individual that made a decision to engage in conduct that was outside what our policies are.”
Levalley says the ambulance was traveling about 20 miles per hour when it struck the vehicles. The paramedic said he was distracted by a map, and it was only during the testing did they discover he was under the influence.
"There was no indication amongst coworkers or supervision that there was an issue going on,” Levalley said.
The fire department says the paramedic has been with the department for six years and had no prior accidents or alcohol-related incidents.
"We have a zero-tolerance policy for the use of alcohol while on duty and will take the appropriate action," Commissioner Chuck Simms said in a statement. "We have an outstanding team of EMTs and paramedics at DFD and it's unfortunately that this incident detracts from the life-saving work they do every day. We have programs and supportive services in place for our employees who may be struggling with issues such as alcohol dependency and we will redouble our efforts to make sure any employee who may need them are aware of how to access them."
For Ali, he's hoping to get help from the city with the cost of repairs, which he estimates will be around $2,000 to $2,500. In the meantime, he's trying to find a way he can still get to work without his car.
"This is an emergency truck. You can't be drunk driving an emergency truck — there’s no way,” Ali said. "Without a car, you wont be able to run your family and pay your rent to be honest, and you won't be able to put food on your table.”
