SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A longtime Seminole County firefighter was forced to resign after he was charged with boating under the influence.
9 Investigates reported in May that the off-duty firefighter, Brett Leftwich, 48, crashed a boat into a dock on Prairie Lake.
Florida Fish and Wildlife was the primary investigating agency. FWC did not do a field sobriety test the night of the crash because Leftwich, who was driving the boat, had to go to the hospital, investigators said.
Therefore it took longer to gather the evidence needed for the misdemeanor citation of BUI.
Paperwork 9 Investigates obtained shows Leftwich opted to resign after the department became aware that the State Attorney's Office filed charges against him for boating under the influence.
911 call: “Caller advising boat crash into a dock, man unconscious. It's about 15 feet off shore. There's two men on the boat. One appears to be ‘ETOH’ (medical term for alcohol) and very belligerent.”
Statements made at Orlando Regional Medical Center led investigators to believe Leftwich was under the influence while driving the boat.
It's not the first time Leftwich faced charges in Seminole County.
Battery charges against him were dropped in 2008 after he allegedly pushed an Altamonte Springs officer and called him a racial slur.
Another arrest in 2011 led to this warning: If Leftwich was ever arrested again, he'd be automatically terminated.
The second-off duty firefighter, Steven Stiver, 48, was given a ride home by one of his on-duty colleagues on taxpayer’s dime. His internal investigation is ongoing.