The breath test registered .145 -- nearly twice the legal limit.
That's what a firefighter behind the wheel of a Petersburg fire truck blew Tuesday afternoon after the rig hit a parked vehicle.
A person who saw the fire truck stopped in the middle of the street initially thought it had broken down.
"When I saw the officer giving him a sobriety test, that's when I knew something was off with the situation," a witness told WTVR.
Aaron M. Hinspater, 34, was charged with driving while intoxicated. He was released on $1,500 bail.
Hinspater, who has been with the department for nine months, admitted to officers that he drank 18 beers, court records showed.
A source told the reporter that Hinspater stopped drinking about 3 a.m., five hours before his shift started.
He was placed on administrative leave.
"That's scary because they're supposed to be there to help us when we call them. And, if you're not functional and stuff, that's scary to know that they're not going to be there to help if under the influence of alcohol," a witness said.
