Sheriff says drunk firefighter stole fire engine to get his car out of a ditch
Baton Rouge firefighter took rig from fire company where he had volunteered
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Craig Dale Trippi Jr., 25, was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
LPSO detectives say deputies were dispatched to the District 9 Fire Department in Maurepas in reference to a damage to property complaint. Officials say Trippi somehow got his own Honda Civic stuck in a ditch.
“He then walked to a nearby fire station, one where he used to work, and was able to gain access to equipment. He hopped into a firetruck, drove it to the scene of the crash, and attempted to use that firetruck to dislodge the vehicle by attaching a fire hose to both. This caused damage to the firetruck,” said Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard.
Jacqueline Derobertis, The Advocate:
In a prepared statement, Chief Danielle Lessard of Livingston Fire Protection District 9 in Maurepas said Trippi took a unit housed at Station 1 without permission and that the unit was damaged. She said Trippi is suspended pending an outcome of the investigation and had been on a personal leave of absence when the incident took place.
In Baton Rouge, Trippi will receive a five-day suspension without pay, per department policy, said BRFD spokesman Curt Monte. Trippi could possibly receive more once the criminal investigation is over. The department’s investigation will continue after the criminal investigation is complete.
Livingston Parish Sheriff Facebook page:
On January 4, 2020 just after 2:00am, LPSO was dispatched to the 23,000 stretch of Highway 22 in reference to a damage to property complaint.
Sheriff Jason Ard says, ‘Deputies located a male seated in the middle of the roadway & a Honda Civic located in the ditch. Attached to the vehicle was a fire hose that led to a nearby fire truck.’
Through investigation, we learned that the male drove into the ditch where his vehicle got stuck.
Sheriff says, ‘He then walked to a nearby fire station – one where he used to work – and was able to gain access to equipment. He hopped into a fire truck, drove it to the scene of the crash & attempted to use that fire truck to dislodge the vehicle by attaching a fire hose to both. This caused damage to the fire truck.’
No longer in LPDC:
Craig Trippi, Jr.
French Settlement
>Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated
>Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
*Bond: $3500
