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COLUMBUS — Sheridan Volunteer Fire Department intends to install dashboard cameras following a multi-vehicle car accident involving an SVFD firefighter and allegations about an aggressive firefighter behind the wheel.
Despite reluctance from officials to discuss the matter, The Citizen pieced together the details of the accident on Sept. 13 after the Colorado County Fair Parade through various reports and public information requests.
According to those documents and an eyewitness statement, a SVFD vehicle operated by Sheridan volunteer firefighter Dustin Noska, 54, crossed into a no-passing zone into oncoming traffic and collided with another vehicle. The latter vehicle subsequently collided with another vehicle, and reports indicated one driver had to be checked out for possible minor injuries. A witness described Noska, who was not injured, as behaving belligerently at the scene.
Fire Chief Jason Pausewang said he spoke with Noska directly regarding the incident and “handled all of the discipline in-house.” To avoid repeat incidents, the department intends to install forward-facing dashboard cameras in department vehicles for thorough recordings “to get both sides of the story,” the chief said.
Pausewang later wrote to The Citizen that the department has begun researching grants to fund five cameras for department use. Currently, the department only has rear cameras on two trucks for firefighter safety while operating in reverse drive. Pausewang wrote that the timing of the project depends on the funding. The chief also wanted to assure Sheridan residents that the department remains dedicated to protecting the community.
“We are still going to operate 24/7, 365 to serve our constituents of our community and any community that calls and needs our assistance,” Pausewang said.
Noska, a former Columbus police officer, received a citation for disregarding a no-passing zone, a misdemeanor charge that carries a fine of $260, according to officials.
Reports from the Texas Department of Transportation, Columbus Police Department and others in addition to the witness statement outline the timeline of the incident: A SVFD 2019 red Ford F450, driven by Noska and pulling a hitched trailer in the 2500 block of U.S. 71 near Ace Hardware, crossed into oncoming traffic in a no-passing zone. An 8-year-old girl was in the truck with Noska. The truck collided with an oncoming 2018 silver Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Cody Hatch, 30, with a 3-year-old girl as a passenger. That vehicle subsequently collided with a 2018 gray Honda CRV driven by 59-year-old Kristin St. Clair.
Hatch was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation for possible minor injuries.
Records indicated that both the Tahoe and the Honda were totaled and sent to salvage.
The Citizen has not been able to speak with Hatch; St. Clair declined to comment.
Columbus police Sgt. Brandon Wilson responded to the scene, and the Columbus Volunteer Fire Department additionally responded shortly after. CVFD firefighters assisted with traffic control and cleaned up spilled oil. Wilson met with the three involved in the accident and a witness, James Stafford, who was driving a 2018 beige Hyundai Tucson.
According to the statement Stafford sent to The Citizen, he and his wife were traveling back to Hallettsville after the parade. Stafford said he “inadvertently” moved his car in front of the SVFD truck while trying to merge onto Interstate 10.
“At the red light, I acknowledged this mistake with a hand gesture, but the firefighter responded by repeatedly honking his horn in anger. Instead of moving on, the firefighter pursued us for several miles, tailgating at a dangerous distance, blaring his horn and making aggressive gestures,” Stafford wrote. “At no time did he activate emergency lights or sirens to indicate he was responding to a call.”
Stafford wrote that the SVFD truck attempted to pass his vehicle once traffic narrowed to a single lane but then collided with the other car. Stafford wrote that he pulled over and got out to offer assistance.
“The firefighter, however, immediately confronted me, cussing and yelling rather than tending to the injured,” Stafford wrote. “He shouted that I was going ‘too (expletive) slow,’ despite the fact that I was obeying the posted speed limit.”
Stafford wrote that he informed the truck driver that he was unfamiliar with the area and simply trying to go home after watching the parade. The driver responded by telling him to not come back and that he was “not welcome here.” Stafford concluded his statement by calling for the department to practice accountability in the future and to take action to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
