A Coweta County firefighter is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, hit-and-run, and leaving the scene of an accident. Twenty-eight-year-old Matthew Van Robinson is currently on administrative leave from the fire department pending a police investigation of the incident.
On the night of October 11, Robinson hit several vehicles with his truck and then ran over a pedestrian in the parking lot of the Taco Mac at 310 Newman Crossing Bypass in Newnan.
Witnesses saw Robinson drinking alcohol in the restaurant before the accident. He left the restaurant and got into his truck. As he backed out of his parking space, he hit two parked vehicles. He pulled forward and then backed out again, and again, he hit the two vehicles.
Bystanders tried to get the firefighter’s attention. But, he sped out of the parking lot hitting a pedestrian on his way. He then left the area.
Newnan police officers located Robinson at his home. They were able to look through the window and see him asleep on the couch. For half an hour they tried to wake him by banging on the door, calling his cell phone, and even sounding sirens. When Robinson finally woke up, he let the officers inside.
He could not remember much about the incident. He remembered seeing the bystanders and thought they were a crowd of people planning to beat him up. Robinson was arrested and transported to the Coweta County Jail.