Petersburg firefighter arraigned on drunk-driving charge; intern reportedly aboard engine

PETERSBURG – The city firefighter accused of being drunk behind the wheel of a fire engine when it collided with a parked car made its first appearance in a Petersburg courtroom Friday morning.

Meanwhile, a city councilor who labeled the events of the July 23 incident “irresponsible behavior” on both the firefighter and the city for not stopping him, says an “absence of proper leadership” within the Petersburg Bureau of Fire contributed to the outcome. Ward 1 Councilor Marlow Jones also said that a city intern was inside the truck with Aaron Michael Hinspater when the incident occurred, adding that the intern’s presence “underscores the severity of this situation.”

Hinspater, 34, of North Chesterfield, was arrested on one misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated-first offense when the engine he was driving sideswiped a parked car during a training exercise in downtown Petersburg. He blew a .145 blood alcohol count in onsite breathalyzer tests and admitted to the arresting police officer that he drank 18 beers just hours before showing up to work for the training.

In Virginia, a .08 BAC is considered too intoxicated to drive.

Hinspater, who has been a Petersburg firefighter for less than one year, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave while the case is under investigation.

Related: Court records: Petersburg firefighter given two breathalyzers, blew the same amount in both

Very brief court appearance

Hinspater was arraigned Friday morning in Petersburg General District Court – his first court appearance since being arrested.

Dressed in a tie and dark suit, he was accompanied by his attorney, James Traylor, and only spoke when responding to Judge Ray Lupold III’s questions about understanding the charge and agreeing to come back for his Nov. 14 trial. The entire hearing lasted less than three minutes.

Afterward, Hinspater and his attorney left the court building without speaking to The Progress-Index.

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‘Foundation of trust’ threatened

Jones, the outspoken councilor who is a former deputy fire marshal for the city of Petersburg, told The Progress-Index that an intern under the age of 18 was riding in the fire engine with Hinspater when he reportedly hit the car. The Progress-Index has confirmed that the parked car belonged to a civilian and was not parked there as part of the training.

“The presence of an intern in that fire engine underscores the severity of this situation,” Jones said in a written statement. “The potential for legal repercussions extends beyond this individual; it threatens the very foundation of trust between our firefighters and the community they serve. We must act decisively and responsibly to address this issue.”

The Progress-Index has been unable to confirm that another person was in the fire engine with Hinspater. Since issuing a four-sentence statement two days after the incident occurred, Petersburg city government has put a lid on additional comment or confirming details while the investigation continues.

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Latest of long-standing issues

While he faulted Hinspater, whom he did not name, Jones also said the situation could have been avoided if strong department leadership was in place.

Since September last year, Christopher Magann has led the department temporarily. He took over several months after Tina Watkins was ousted after just over a year on the job amid claims of morale problems and questions about mismanagement of the department’s service fleet.

Since the training incident, questions have been raised about how Hinspater, in the inebriated state he was reported to be, was not prevented by colleagues or even supervisors from participating. In his statement, Jones said that the questions could have avoided if adequate fire administration had been in place.

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“The absence of proper leadership within our fire department has contributed to an environment where such actions could occur,” he said. “We have a duty to ensure that our departments are not only staffed with skilled professionals but also led by individuals who embody the values of accountability and integrity. We cannot overlook the consequences of a leadership vacuum that allows for such dangerous behavior to go unchecked.”

Faith in the investigative process

Jones said he trusted City Manager March Altman and his administration to handle the matter “with the gravity it deserves.” Under Petersburg city code, the city manager must sign off on any department head’s decision to suspend an employee without pay.

While Jones did not explicitly call for Hinspater’s dismissal after the investigation, he said he “will advocate for the firefighter’s access to rehabilitation” should that be the decision.

“We must acknowledge that no one reaches such a low point without underlying issues that warrant compassion and support,” Jones said. He added that he wanted to assure the public that a permanent fire chief will be appointed soon, and the city was implementing ongoing substance-abuse counseling for its fire and EMS personnel.

“Let it be clear: this is not merely about one individual’s actions,” Jones said. “It reflects on us all as a community. We must stand together, united in our commitment to fostering a safe, accountable, and compassionate environment for everyone. Together, we can rebuild trust and ensure that such a lapse in judgment never happens again.”

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg firefighter charged with DWI arraigned in court Friday