Todd Picken, 31, lost his license after being convicted of driving while impaired in Licking County back in July 2001.
A firefighter that was driving an ambulance involved in a deadly crash last month in Madison County should have never been behind the wheel.
"He was found to not have a valid license at the time of the crash," said Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Rod Moser.
Todd Picken, 31, lost his license after being convicted of driving while impaired in Licking County back in July 2001. He has a lengthy driving record dating back more than a decade.
Picken has pleaded not guilty to charges of no operator’s license and failure to reinstate his license.
The Sept. 18 crash, which involved an off-duty Columbus Police officer, does not appear to be Picken's fault. An SUV driven by Marcia "Jody" Frederick, 53, went left of center on State Route 142 and hit the Jefferson Township Fire Department ambulance head-on. Frederick had been off work as a police detective because she was being treated for cancer. She died at the scene.
A final report from the Highway Patrol hasn't been released. Moser says they're waiting on a final cause of death ruling from the coroner's office. It appears Frederick may have suffered a medical condition that led to the crash.
