LIVE OAK, Texas – A Live Oak firefighter was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in connection with a crash earlier this month, court records obtained by KSAT Investigates show.
Nicholas Flores, 29, was taken into custody by Live Oak police just before 11 p.m. on June 14 after investigators said his truck collided with another vehicle in the 8100 block of Pat Booker Road.
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Flores, who identified himself to officers at the scene as a Live Oak firefighter, had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and red, bloodshot eyes, records show.
Flores then failed a standardized field sobriety test and was taken into custody.
Live Oak officers attempted to gather a breath specimen from Flores at the Universal City Police Department but were unable to because of a technical issue, according to booking records.
Flores was then driven to the Schertz Police Department, where he provided two breath specimens showing his blood alcohol content of .12 and .119, records show.
Both readings are over the legal limit to drive a motor vehicle in the state of Texas.
Flores is scheduled to be arraigned on the misdemeanor DWI charge in County Court 12 on July 15.
Live Oak Fire Department Chief Linc Surber confirmed to KSAT via email Wednesday that Flores returned to restricted duty June 21, but is not permitted to drive until further notice.
Surber did not respond to an inquiry from KSAT asking how long Flores has worked for LOFD.
Flores’ attorney, Amanda Hernandez, sent KSAT the following text message Wednesday:
“Mr. Flores has always been a dedicated servant to our community. On the night in question, he was not stopped for any driving infraction but was the victim of a car accident, which he promptly reported to law enforcement. He followed all protocols in reporting the incident and cooperated fully with the responding officers. While the officers believed there was probable cause for an arrest, Mr. Flores is innocent unless proven guilty. As this is an ongoing case, we are not able to comment further on the specifics. Mr. Flores trusts in our justice system and looks forward to resolving this matter soon.”
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.