Truro Township fire chief cited for DUI, speeding near Granville

GRANVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – A fire chief in an eastern Franklin County township was cited for speeding and operating a vehicle while under the influence in Licking County.

According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol impaired driver report, Jeffrey Sharps, fire chief for Truro Township, was pulled over about 10 p.m. Feb. 6 on State Route 16 in Granville Township. A deputy reported Sharps was recorded driving 64 mph in a 45-mph zone.

The report said the deputy asked Sharps several times where he was coming from but did not get a response. When Sharps reportedly said he wasn’t sure, the deputy said he detected a strong odor of alcohol from inside the vehicle.

The deputy noted that Sharps’ eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred. When asked to get out of the car, Sharps handed the deputy his identification card and said, “I’d rather not,” and, “I’m a half-mile from home.”

During sobriety tests, Sharps was observed swaying and had trouble getting into a starting position for the walk-and-turn test. He also reportedly did not remember instructions during the one-leg stand test and counted back from 67 to 43 when asked to count from 68 to 53. He told the deputy that he’d had two cans of beer, the report said.

Sharps was placed under arrest for operating a vehicle while impaired. At the Granville Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, he refused a breathalyzer test and was issued a citation for speeding and OVI. An attorney pleaded not guilty on Sharps’ behalf during an arraignment hearing on Feb. 8. A future court date has yet to be scheduled.

Sharps has been employed with the Truro Township Fire Department since 2012, first as an assistant fire chief, then as chief in 2018. Truro Township encompasses most of Reynoldsburg and surrounding neighborhoods.

Truro Township trustees did not immediately respond when asked for comment.

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