FARMINGTON – A Madison man landed in cold water, which soon turned hot, after he went around an emergency barricade Thursday.

The fire rescue chief plans to bill him, and a police officer cited him for a traffic violation and a misdemeanor crime.

Firefighters had to get Matthew Colley, 19, out of his vehicle after he drove into the water on flooded Front Street.

Fire Rescue Chief Terry Bell said he planned to send Colley a bill for $421.

The formula is based on 1 percent of the cost of the firetruck and $10 for each firefighter who responded.

Colley had been heading to work at MBNA on Front Street and went around barricades instead of following detour signs.

The Sandy River overflowed its banks Thursday and ran onto Front Street, routes 4 and 27 and Prescott Street. Firefighters closed portions of those roads to traffic.

Fire Rescue Lt. T.D. Hardy donned a dry suit and with a chain hooked to him walked through the water to help Colley get out and inform Colley he had to walk through water that was up to his thighs back to firefighters, Bell said. He wasn’t going to be carried.

“It’s stupid,” Bell said of Colley’s actions. “It’s just stupid.”

Farmington police officer Drew Hufnagel said that officer Nathan Reid gave Colley a traffic summons for failure to obey a traffic control device and gave him a criminal summons for a violation of emergency rule.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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