Over in southeast Kentucky, just outside Daniel Boone National Forest, the person in charge of the county’s emergency medical services suddenly found himself in need of assistance. The EMS director was arrested last week after a car accident in a Knox County-owned unit.

Authorities said the wreck happened near the intersection of Paynes Creek Road and KY 1304. Steven W. Jones told officers he had swerved to avoid a deer and may have clipped a street sign in the process.

What started as a routine accident call quickly escalated once deputies spoke with the EMS director at the scene

According to the arrest citation, the officer could smell alcohol. Jones admitted to drinking earlier in the evening. A roadside breath test registered a .140 blood alcohol content, nearly twice Kentucky’s legal limit of .08. 

Deputies placed him under arrest. They booked him into the Knox County Detention Center on a charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence, WKYT shared.

The fact that he was driving an EMS vehicle raised the stakes

Officials have not confirmed whether Jones was on duty at the time of the crash. By the way, I’m finding it interesting that reports reflect the term “EMS vehicle.” Technically, then, it could have been a pickup truck or SUV. But why not say that? Makes me assume an ambulance got wrecked, which would, if called by name, make the narrative sound worse. Still, the optics alone make for a serious administrative problem.

As EMS director, Jones oversees staff and emergency response across the county. A DUI arrest tied directly to county property could trigger internal reviews, leave him facing disciplinary action, and possibly end his tenure in the role.

For now, the case highlights a painful irony: the official tasked with leading on public safety is accused of putting it at risk behind the wheel of an emergency vehicle. The court system and his own EMS department will now determine how far those consequences reach.