A summons to appear in court has been issued to the Taylor Township Trustee after she allegedly battered a firefighter as she was acting in the role of captain of a volunteer fire department at the scene of a car accident on Oct. 5.

Kristi Hartzburg, of Newberry, has been summoned to appear in Greene Superior Court on Nov. 20 on a charge of battery, a Class B Misdemeanor.

When Greene County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Caleb Sipes was dispatched to the scene of single-vehicle accident in the area of US Highway 231 and Antioch Road, several first responders were on the scene – including representatives from the Greene County Ambulance Department, Richland Township Fire Department, and Taylor Township Fire Department. Greene County Dispatch had mistakenly sent Richland Township Fire Department to the scene. The mistake was quickly noticed and Taylor Township Fire Department was then dispatched. It was noted in the probable cause affidavit that Richland Township’s fire station is located approximately three miles from the scene of the crash.

Deputy Sipes was assisting Greene County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Jordan Allor in the investigation of the accident and as he was taking photographs of the scene, his camera would not focus due to the emergency lights of Sgt. Allor’s vehicle flashing. As Deputy Sipes walked toward Sgt. Allor’s patrol vehicle, he observed several firefighters standing in a circle in front of the vehicle. As he continued walking toward the vehicle, according to the probable cause affidavit, he observed Hartzburg push a female firefighter.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Deputy Sipes and Sgt. Allor intervened and told Hartzburg she needed to leave. Hartzburg allegedly began arguing with Sgt. Allor and stated that the incident was her scene. Sgt. Allor informed her the driver of the vehicle had been taken from the scene in an ambulance; therefore, the fire department was no longer needed.

Deputy Sipes conducted an interview with the victim who alleged the two fire departments do not like one another. She told Sipes that once Taylor Township arrived, Hartzburg told members of Richland Township to leave. She alleged she told Hartzburg they would leave, but asked her to move their vehicle so they could leave the scene. The two began arguing, then Hartzburg allegedly shoved the witness. Two witnesses alleged they saw Hartzburg push the victim.

While speaking with Hartzburg, per the probable cause affidavit, she told Deputy Sipes, “I probably did shove her because she was standing right next to me. I’m not going to lie.” Per the affidavit, Hartzburg asked Sipes if it was a big deal that she shoved the victim, to which Sipes responded he was documenting the incident.