BOSTON (CBS) – A top state official is offering an apology after an angry viewer snapped a photo of his car parked in front of a fire hydrant.

Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, Kenneth Kimmel drives the state-owned Toyota Prius with state license plates.

His car was parked illegally on Saturday on Chauncy Street in Boston.

On Thursday, Kimmel admitted to WBZ-TV that he parked his car in front of a hydrant.

He apologized while claiming it was a mistake.

“(The Hydrant) was in the far right, probably in the blind spot of the car and I just didn’t see it. But I’m not excusing it. It was an oversight on my part,” he said.

Seth Roosevelt, who snapped the photo and parked behind Kimmel, says he’s skeptical of Kimmel’s assertion.

“How do you miss this thing,” he asked. “It’s a fire hydrant. Everyone knows that you can’t park in front of them.