Coroner: Antioch firefighter drunk when he died in crash

A 30-year-old firefighter with departments in Antioch and Wisconsin had a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit when he was killed in a car crash early Saturday morning, officials said Monday.

Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller said Eric Norden's blood-alcohol level at the time of the 4 a.m. crash was .21 percent, close to three times the legal threshold of .08 percent.

Norden, of Wilmot, Wis., was a full-time firefighter with the Town of Salem Fire and Rescue in Wisconsin, and also worked part-time with fire departments in Antioch and Silver Lake, Wis.

"We have lost a very valuable and treasured member of our family," Antioch Fire Chief John Nixon said. "Eric was very passionate and very involved in the fire service."

Norden was off duty at the time of the crash, he said.

Because of the unique shifts full-time firefighters work - usually on for one day and off for two - they have time to devote to other pursuits, Nixon said.

But Norden seemed to have no other pursuits, he said.

"Whenever he was not working in Salem, he was either with us or with Silver Lake," Nixon said. "He was especially dedicated to his work and used all his extra time to pull stand-by shifts and perform other duties."

Keller said Norden was alone in his pickup truck when it went off West Wilmot Road near the Wisconsin state line and struck a power pole.

Norden died of a skull fracture and head trauma, Keller said.

It is possible factors other than intoxication contributed to the crash, he said.

"It is dark and deserted along that stretch of road," Keller said. "That may have had something to do with it as well as the blood-alcohol level."

Nixon said Norden is survived by his mother, stepfather and two sisters.

Funeral arrangements were pending as of Monday, but Nixon said his department would coordinate its efforts with those in Wisconsin to honor Norden.

"Certainly, the Salem Department is heading-up the arrangements with Eric's family," Nixon said. "We have black bunting on our stations and our honor guard will coordinate with them and Silver Lake in our tribute to him."