A dedicated Orange County firefighter known for his commitment to saving lives and public safety is now facing serious legal consequences after being charged with a hit and run from an incident in Dana Point on Oct. 21, 2022.
Jeffery Richard Grasinger, a respected member of the Orange County Fire Department for over 13 years, was charged Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, on one felony count of hit-and-run with permanent injury or death.
According to a press release by the District Attorney, Jeffery Richard Grasinger, 36, of Rancho Santa Margarita, if convicted, could face the maximum sentence of four years in a state prison
Grasinger is accused of hitting Said Dariel Sanchez, a 24-year-old, as he was crossing Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point.
According to authorities, on Oct. 21, 2022, around 6:45 p.m. Jeffery Grasinger was accused of hitting a man crossing Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point. Video Surveillance of the incident captured the moment when Grasinger hit the brakes before colliding with the victim, then applied brakes then left without stopping or without help.
In an investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, investigators tracked down the vehicle that fled the scene to a home in Rancho Santa Margarita; and found damage and blood matching what hitting a pedestrian would leave behind which led them to determining that Grasinger had driven the car when the hit and run occurred.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement, “The fact that a sworn firefighter would disregard a human life so callously is not only disturbing; it is criminal.”
Many in the community are shocked at the fact that a firefighter who was trained in aiding in medical attention would leave someone after hitting them. A firefighter hitting and fleeing concerns many in the community.