A shocking development emerged last week as a grand jury handed up an indictment, charging a veteran Orange County Fire Authority firefighter with a fatal hit and run in Dana Point last year. This incident has thrust the firefighter, Jeffrey Richard Grasinger of Rancho Santa Margarita, into the spotlight, as he now faces one felony count of hit and run resulting in permanent injury or death, a serious offense according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The incident occurred on October 21, 2022, when Grasinger, 36, allegedly struck a 24-year-old man named Said Darinel Sanchez as he was crossing Pacific Coast Highway. Tragically, the collision caused Sanchez to go airborne and violently crash headfirst into the pavement. Video evidence captured the heart-stopping moment when the vehicle abruptly hit its brakes and crashed into Sanchez, as well as the shocking sight of the vehicle leaving the scene without offering any assistance. These chilling moments were shared by the district attorney’s office.
Through their investigation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigators were able to trace the vehicle back to Grasinger’s home in Rancho Santa Margarita. Upon examination, blood was discovered on the front of the vehicle, along with damage consistent with hitting a pedestrian. In light of these findings, it was determined that Grasinger, a 13-year veteran of the OCFA, had been behind the wheel at the time of the fatal collision.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer strongly condemned Grasinger’s actions, stating, “Firefighters are public servants who are sworn to protect the lives of others. While another driver stopped to render aid after witnessing the collision, Mr. Grasinger, a professional firefighter trained to provide medical attention, drove off after hitting a human being. The fact that a sworn firefighter would disregard a human life so callously is not only disturbing; it is criminal.”
Despite the objections of the prosecutors, Grasinger was released on his own recognizance. His arraignment is scheduled to take place on November 17 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison.
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