Westmont fire chief on leave, facing DUI charge

Westmont Fire Chief Frank Trout is on paid administrative leave after being charged with drunken driving in connection with a minor accident, officials said Wednesday. Trout, 67, struck a parked car about 6:15 p.m. Friday on the 3900 block of Adams Street, just outside Westmont, the DuPage County sheriff’s office said. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving too fast for conditions and failure to reduce speed.

Trout was off-duty and driving a personal vehicle at the time of the crash, according to village officials. The village said he would remain on paid leave indefinitely, with Deputy Chief David Weiss acting as the fire department’s top administrator.

Trout was released from police custody about 11 p.m. Friday after he posted $100 as bond, police said. Reached by phone Wednesday, he declined to comment, citing the advice of his attorney.

“While Chief Trout is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, these allegations are deeply troubling to the village’s administration, and we take this matter very seriously,” Village Manager Ronald Searl said in a statement. “The village has initiated its own investigation into Chief Trout’s actions to determine what, if any, consequences are warranted. These allegations do not reflect on the daily action and hard work of the village of Westmont, including the Westmont Fire Department.”

Trout is a longtime village employee, former police officer and Vietnam War veteran. In 2009, he received the Paul Harris Fellowship award, the highest honor from Rotary International, according to the village’s website.

He is due in court Jan. 18.