By Paul Nelson
The Times Union
SCHNECTADY, N.Y. — A Schenectady firefighter faces drunken driving charges after he crashed his pickup truck into the porch of a Rotterdam home late on the Fourth of July, according to a police report.
William Rhodes, 34, was charged with driving while intoxicated and driving under the influence of alcohol, both misdemeanors.
Patrolwoman Michelle Crandall’s police report said she was driving on Hamburg Street when she saw a pickup truck speeding in the opposite direction close to the guardrail and swerve to the side of the road to avoid another vehicle.
As Crandall turned her cruiser around, the report states, she heard a loud crash and saw the truck had struck the front porch of 2046-2048 Hamburg St.
Crandall recognized Rhodes as he left the pickup through the passenger-side window.
He sank to his knees, placed his hands behind his head and told Crandall, “I’ve been drinking too much,” the report said.
Crandall conducted standard field sobriety tests and gave Rhodes a breath test, which measured 0.12 percent blood alcohol content. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.
Rhodes also faces traffic violations of speeding and failure to keep right. He was released pending an Aug. 15 court appearance.
Rhodes, the only African-American on the Schenectady Fire Department, has been on the job since June 2010.
He could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. A Rotterdam court clerk said no attorney was listed for Rhodes.
Neither Chief Raymond Senecal nor Assistant Chief Michael Gillespie returned a call seeking comment.
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