A Montgomery County assistant fire chief who caused a four-car pileup when he crashed a county vehicle into a police car two weeks ago was given a blood alcohol test after the incident, but officials say they can’t release the results.
Assistant Fire Chief Greg DeHaven was driving a county-owned sport utility vehicle when he crashed into a police car making a traffic stop on Interstate 270 around 9 p.m. Nov. 30. DeHaven, who leads the fire department’s honor guard unit, was returning from the group’s presentation of colors at a Redskins game when the incident occurred.
The Examiner reported last week that a junior police officer on the scene thought he may have smelled alcohol on DeHaven’s breath, but a police sergeant and captain said they did not.
Police spokesman Lt. Paul Starks said DeHaven passed a field sobriety test, which consisted of watching how his eyes followed the movement of a penlike object. Police did not administer any tests that measure blood alcohol content, according to Starks, because DeHaven passed the field test.
Patrick Lacefield, a spokesman for the county, said Monday that DeHaven was given a breathalyzer test at a fire and rescue clinic afterward. He declined to provide the results of the test, citing confidentiality of medical and personnel records.
“The fire department has procedures after a crash,” Lacefield said. “If he had been arrested, it would a matter of public record.”
DeHaven faces a $130 traffic ticket after the accident for “failure to control vehicle speed on a highway to avoid collision” and was temporarily assigned to other duties.
The crash caused a chain-reaction wreck involving two vehicles driven by civilians. County officials said Monday that a passenger in a BMW involved in the collision has filed an injury claim against the county.
“Nobody was transported from the scene, but an injury claim has been made,” fire department spokesman Pete Piringer said. “It could be anything, I don’t know.”
Montgomery County Inspector General Tom Dagley told The Examiner last week he was investigating the incident because he’d heard from people with concerns about the accident itself, the way in which was reported and how it is being processed.
The fire department has also retained a third party to investigate the accident.
