California man sues fire department that ran over him as he drunkenly slept outside the station

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A man has launched a lawsuit against a California city after one of its fire trucks ran over him as he drunkenly slept near the station, according to a report.

​The alleged incident unfolded in September 2025 when a truck raced out of a station in Richmond – a city around 12 miles from San Francisco.

​Emilson Garcia-Ponce says in a March 2026 lawsuit reviewed by The Independent that he was sleeping outside of Fire Station 67 when a vehicle suddenly left the fire station. According to him, the incident led him to suffer “serious and permanent injuries, damages and harm.”

​The lawsuit also claims that Garcia-Ponce was forced to seek medical help, leading him to incur financial costs. He alleges that his injuries will result in permanent disability.

​Garcia-Ponce’s lawsuit accuses the fire department of negligence, stating that firefighters were required to make sure that no one was in the truck’s path as it left the station. He is seeking damages and has demanded a jury trial.

​At a status conference on Thursday attended by The Mercury News, city attorneys alleged Garcia-Ponce’s blood alcohol level was measured at .15 percent at the time of the incident.

That is almost twice the legal driving limit of .08.

City attorneys also insisted that Garcia-Ponce “wasn’t visible” to those onboard the truck, The Mercury News reported. However, a report reviewed by the outlet alleged that firemen inside the vehicle noticed a metallic clang and “ping” during the incident, causing them to stop the truck – although they did not notice anyone in their path.

​In a May response to Garcia-Ponce’s filing, the City of Richmond and Dillon Lissol, the driver of the fire truck, denied all allegations against them. They allege that the man “so carelessly, recklessly, and negligently conducted and maintained himself so as to cause and contribute in some degree to the alleged incident and to the damages and injuries.”

​Lissol and the city are seeking the dismissal of the defendants with the costs of the suit and for relief that the court “deems just and proper.”

Fire Station 67, where the incident unfolded, is described by the National Park Service as “quintessential example of mid-20th-century civic architecture.”

The site’s location meant that it could support surrounding shipyards, which saw great use throughout World War II.

​The Independent has contacted Martin J. Ambacher, the city’s attorney, and Wilshire Law Firm, which is representing Garcia-Ponce.

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