Judge orders man to donate to FD & apologize to firefighters. Victim pays the price for water rescue.

Judge Garrett Page in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania wasn’t happy that 55-year-old Donald Pierce of Philadelphia didn’t think the barricades blocking a flooded road in the Willow Grove area during Tropical Storm Lee weren’t for him. After Pierce drove around that silly obstruction in the road he soon needed help. Of course it was up to firefighters to save his butt. Which they did.

But a police officer who said he saw Pierce drive around the barriers in his red minivan charged the man with three counts of recklessly endangering others and reckless driving. The three counts were one each for the three firefighters who risked their lives in an attempt make sure Pierce walked away from the mess he created for himself.

According to Margaret Gibbons at PhillyBurbs.com, as part of an agreement, Donald Pierce entered a guilty plea to a charge of disorderly conduct.  Judge Page yesterday fined Pierce $300 and ordered him to make a $1000 donation to the Willow Grove Fire Company and send letters of apology to the three firefighters who tried to reach him.

Here’s a description of the rescue from PhillyBurbs.com:

The vehicle drove into the flooded roadway and got about halfway through the swift moving flood waters when it became disabled. The force of the water pushed the van to the side of the road and up against a guardrail.                           

Three Willow Grove firefighters, trained in water rescues, entered the flooded roadway to rescue the driver but, after getting about halfway to the van and in water up to their hips, had to abandon that attempt because they were in danger of being swept downstream because of the swift flowing floodwaters.

A second attempt, using an Enterprise Fire Co. ladder truck, was successful.

 Do you want to sell a rig? Click HERE to find out how with SellFireTrucks.com.