Pittsburgh fire lieutenant charged with DUI a third time

January 29, 2013 12:18 am

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A Pittsburgh fire lieutenant is scheduled to appear in court next month on charges of driving under the influence. It is his third DUI charge, Ross police said.

Mark Heslet, 43, of Summer Hill, weaved through lanes of traffic several times Dec. 20 before he was pulled over in the 4600 block of Peoples Road, Ross police wrote in a criminal complaint.

Lt. Heslet remains on the job in his normal capacity, according to city fire Chief Darryl Jones, who said he learned of the charges against Lt. Heslet on Monday.

"Typically, we wait until this goes through its [legal] process here and then issue punishment if it's needed," he said.

Lt. Heslet had problems passing field sobriety tests, Ross officers wrote in the complaint, and told police he was having family trouble that was being handled in the courts and he "just went out drinking tonight because of that."

Ross police said Lt. Heslet completed an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program for first-time offenders when he was charged with DUI in 1992 and pleaded guilty to DUI after an incident in 2000.

Lt. Heslet, who joined the fire bureau in 1997, is scheduled to appear Feb. 27 for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Richard Opiela. He declined to comment and did not have an attorney on file.


First Published January 29, 2013 12:00 am

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