ORLANDO, Fla. – A Brevard County firefighter is accused of being combative and attempting to bite a state trooper who was arresting him on a hit-and-run charge, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The accident occurred around 7:50 p.m. Wednesday when a blue Mustang driven by firefighter Justin Serrecchia hit a red Lexus near Peppervine Drive and Lake Live Oak Drive in Orlando, troopers said.
Serrecchia pulled over and made sure the other driver wasn't injured. The other driver gave Serrecchia his license and insurance information, but Serrecchia refused to do the same, according to the arrest report.
The crash victim said Serrecchia smelled like alcohol, was barefoot, seemed to be having mood swings and spit out his chewing gum at him, troopers said. The victim played a recording in which Serrecchia cursed and said he was a soldier and a firefighter.
Deputies who were on the scene before the Florida Highway Patrol arrived told both drivers they could leave once information had been exchanged, but Serrecchia left without providing his information, the report said. The victim said deputies didn't take any action when he told them that Serrecchia seemed to be intoxicated.
Serrecchia was asleep when troopers arrived. After his fiancee woke him up, Serrecchia claimed troopers were harassing him, the report said.
Video obtained by News 6 shows him using profanity when talking to the trooper.
He can be heard telling his fiancee not to talk to the trooper.
"Why are you talking to her?" he asks. "She's just some girl. She's useless."
"Call a man here," he said. "Someone who can harass and protect."
Serrecchia initially refused to put his hands behind his back, then when he did, he tensed up and made it difficult for troopers to handcuff him, officials said.
Troopers said Serrecchia tried to bite them as they were buckling him in the back seat of the patrol car.
"Stop resisting," one of the troopers says. "Try biting me again and I will knock your teeth out!"
Serrechia responded: "I'm a fireman, dude. You're nothing."
Serrecchia can be seen in the video kicking the vehicle and using profane language on the way to the Orange County Jail.
"You understand you're (expletive) ruining my life? Do you understand that?" he asks the trooper. "You don't care. You don't care. But you know what? You have Facebook, right? I will find you, and I will (expletive) ruin your life."
He was uncooperative, combative and smelled of alcohol, troopers said.
The Brevard County Emergency Management Office communications director said Serrecchia is still employed pending the outcome of the charges. He's been with the county for about eight years.
Serrecchia is charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage and resisting an officer.
