Firefighter Dismissed Over Car Crash Video

A firefighter is being dismissed for taking cell phone video footage of a woman killed in a SUV crash that the dead woman's parents later received, authorities said.

Spalding County firefighter Terrence Reid was notified Thursday that he was being fired for shooting the gruesome video, interim county manager Tim Whalen said in a statement. The firefighter has 10 days to appeal. Other employees may also face discipline.

Whalen said Reid used his personal cell phone to take footage showing the horrific injuries suffered by 23-year-old Dayna Kempson-Schacht, who died July 17 when her Jeep crashed into trees.

Ga. Fireman Suspended for Video of Dead Woman

"That Mr. Reid recklessly disregarded the humanity of Ms. Kempson-Schacht and the people he was obligated to serve is clear and obvious," Whalen said.

Reid's attorney, M. Michael Kendall, did not return a phone message to The Associated Press.

The firefighter was accused of showing the video to others in the department. County officials earlier said a firefighter took the video to a bar, where he texted it to other patrons. From there, it spread. A former brother-in-law of Jeff Kempson, the late woman's father, received the video on his cell phone and sent it to her parents at their request.

Kempson said he supported the firing of Reid but still wants to know if other people were involved. His daughter suffered severe head injuries that required a closed-casket funeral. Kempson said he and his wife consoled themselves by remembering their young daughter in pictures from better days.

Seeing their daughter in the firefighter's video destroyed those images, Kempson said.

"We had precious memories and we're trying to heal just from her death," he said. "But once this video come out, I can just tell you it's just tormented me but severely tormented my wife."

County officials fired Reid for making misleading and false statements about the incident and for conduct unbecoming of a public employee. The fire department prohibits the use of cell phones without the permission of a supervisor. But county officials said Reid could not be fired for violating that rule since it was not consistently enforced.

Kempson said he wanted to know why a seemingly clear-cut rule was not enforced.

The county sheriff's office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation do not believe any criminal laws were violated, county officials said.