5 San Francisco Firefighters Await Suspensions Over Crash

Five members of the San Francisco Fire Department face possible suspensions stemming from an incident in which a firefighter suspected of being drunk drove a ladder truck into a motorcyclist and left the scene.

The San Francisco Chronicle says two assistant chiefs and a battalion chief could be suspended for their actions the night of the crash in late June.

Two lower-level firefighters face more serious discipline that requires the Fire Commission’s review.

The newspaper says Michael Quinn was driving a fire truck with the siren blaring, responding to what turned out to be a false alarm, when he struck the motorcyclist. Quinn was spotted at a bar guzzling water immediately following the crash.

His blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.13 percent. Quinn recently resigned.

The motorcyclist suffered broken bones and a punctured lung.