By Everton Bailey Jr.
The Oregonian
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland Fire & Rescue inspector had forgotten his food in a taxi and was chasing after it in a city van when he crashed last month, court records show.
James R. Morelli, 54, had taken the taxi home after drinking at a bar, then realized he left his food inside after the cab drove off, according to a search warrant. He said he got into his Portland fire minivan and tried to catch up to the taxi.
“Not a good night,” Morelli said to the Clackamas County deputy who responded, according to the warrant. “Let’s be honest, I should not have been driving.”
The deputy found Morelli about 2:50 a.m. on May 28 in the 17800 block of South Lower Highland Road in Beavercreek outside the crashed 2006 Dodge Caravan, according to the warrant seeking a blood sample to determine his blood alcohol level.
Morelli, who has been with the fire agency for 26 years, had gotten a little more than a mile from home when he veered off the road, tried to get back and rolled the minivan on the road, the warrant said.
Morelli wasn’t seriously injured. He wasn’t physically able to complete field sobriety tests at the scene because he had previously undergone several back surgeries, the warrant said.
Morelli was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants, booked into the Clackamas County Jail and later released. He is scheduled to appear in court June 27. He remains on leave from Portland Fire & Rescue.
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(c)2016 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)