An Austin Energy worker accused of hunting deer while on the job was fired Thursday, officials with the utility said.

A city audit said that Jody Wood was hunting on city property near Walter E. Long Lake in March 2018 during time he claimed to be checking transmission lines. Wood’s supervisor told auditors he had no work-related reason to be there that day.

In April 12, Austin Energy towed his city vehicle from his house after he drove it there without permission. In the car, city staffers found deer antlers, deer-feeder batteries covered in dirt and the box for a trail camera to track wildlife. He was put on paid administrative leave as a result of the audit, city officials said.

Also in April, Wood was charged with intoxication manslaughter in Milam County after he hit and killed 76-year-old Reynaldo Amaya-Charo of Austin, a Texas Department of Public Safety crash report shows. The crash happened April 10 while he was driving his personal vehicle, Austin Energy spokeswoman Jennifer Herber said.

Wood was booked into the Milam County Jail on April 18 on the intoxication manslaughter charge and was released after he posted bail that same day. His trial is set for Sept. 16.

Wood's termination Thursday was related to the audit's findings, Herber said.

Wood, an occupational health and safety specialist, denied the allegations after the audit was released. In an emailed response to an auditor, Wood said he had been near the lake because he needed to pick up a set of antlers and a couple of batteries that he wanted to exchange.

“Having those few items doesn’t mean that I was hunting,” he wrote. “I have never hunted nor have I ever set up any equipment for hunting on city property."

Auditors also accused Wood of using a city vehicle to drive back and forth to his home and other places outside of Austin at least 24 times in a six-month period, running up more than $50 in tolls for the city. The vehicle doesn’t have GPS tracking, so auditors know about only misuse of the car on toll roads.

Wood said in his email response that his supervisor incorrectly told auditors he had no reason to be near the lake or driving up and down the Texas 130 and Texas 45 toll roads. Wood said he had to “keep in contact with the fire department” during controlled burns at the lake and said the highways could be used to access many places.

“Our interim manager isn’t aware of all the little things we do from day to day,” Wood said.

Wood has the option to appeal his firing, Herber said.