Emilson Garcia-Ponce was asleep in the driveway outside Richmond Fire Station 67 before dawn when a fire engine responding to an emergency call rolled over him, leaving him with a lacerated spleen and a broken back. More than a year later, he is suing the city of Richmond and the truck's driver, arguing the crew failed to check for obstructions before pulling out of the station.
A Pre-Dawn Collision Outside the Station Door
The Grandview Independent reported that the fire-truck collision happened near South 12th Street and Cutting Boulevard. The Mercury News gives September 24, 2025, as Garcia-Ponce's injury date and says it happened around 5 a.m. Garcia-Ponce, who is homeless, had been sleeping in the driveway directly in front of the station's roll-up door, according to Richmond city attorneys cited by The Mercury News. City attorneys said his blood alcohol level was measured at .15 percent, and Richmond's lawyers maintain he simply was not visible to the driver.
Per the Grandview Independent's account of an early police statement from Lt. Donald Patchin, the Richmond Police Department said Garcia-Ponce was unconscious in the driveway due to intoxication and was not visible to the driver, despite noise from the opening bay door and the engine starting. The Mercury News reports that firefighters aboard the truck said they heard a ping or metallic clank, stopped, but did not notice anyone — and that before leaving the station, crew members looked out the garage door but did not see anyone.
Lawsuit Targets Driver and Pre-Trip Checks
Garcia-Ponce filed his lawsuit in March 2026, naming the City of Richmond and truck driver Dillon Lissol as defendants, per the same Mercury News account. The suit alleges Lissol and other firefighters were required to check for obstructions before leaving the station and failed to do so in a timely manner — and that a timely check would have let firefighters spot him and avoid the crash, according to the complaint described in the report.
A fleet-inspection guide describes checks of vehicle parts and accessories under 49 CFR 392.7 and a walkaround process, according to the guide. Separately, California Vehicle Code § 21056 establishes that emergency vehicles' exemption from ordinary traffic rules does not relieve drivers of the duty to operate with due regard for the safety of everyone on the roadway, according to Justia's summary of the state code.
Case Moves Through Contra Costa Court
A status conference in the case took place Thursday, the Mercury News reported. Under the California Government Claims Act, a personal injury claim against a public entity generally must be presented within six months of the injury before a lawsuit may be filed, as detailed by Impact Attorneys.
An Aging Station Built for the Shipyards
Station 67 has a history tied to the Kaiser Shipyards, according to the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park. Replacing the aging facility has been estimated at $38 million.
