NEWARK – Drivers who stall in flooded areas and abandon their cars will have their cars towed and ticketed Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said today, following a second round of severe thunderstorms that left dozens of cars stuck in flood areas.
“In many cases, the people drove around police barricades, thinking they could get through the flooded areas,” Ambrose said. “We’re asking people to use common sense. If a barricade is up, it means the road is not safe to travel.”
Ambrose said fire division personal made close to 40 water rescues of people from flooded vehicles during the last two storms.
“It’s avoidable stress of our resources during an emergency,” he said.
Ambrose said even if police have not yet barricaded a road, drivers must know the risk they’re taking venturing into flooded streets.
“Like any town, we have some areas that are problematic,” Ambrose said. “And people get stuck there storm after storm and abandon their cars.
When the water recedes, we have no choice but to ticket and tow, because the cars are impeding traffic.
Every time you approach a flooded area, ask yourself, ‘Is it worth the couple of hundred dollars you’ll have to pay if you stall and get stuck?”