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After harshly criticizing Timothy L. Johnson this afternoon, Visiting Ottawa County Common Pleas Court Judge Paul Moon sent the 43-year-old former firefighter and current Davis-Besse operator straight to jail.
Johnson pleaded guilty this year in the death of a 24-year-old man in a 2010 Salem Township crash that also critically injured a 20-year-old woman.
In that incident, Johnson was traveling over 90 mph on his way to a fire in northern Ottawa County.
Jennifer Feehan, ToledoBlade.com:
Mr. Johnson, 43, of rural Oak Harbor, was driving at a high rate of speed on State Rt. 19 on his way to the fire station in Oak Harbor when he crashed into the rear of a car driven by Olivia Duty, now 22, of Woodville, at the intersection of Portage River South Road. Ms. Duty was seriously injured; her passenger and boyfriend, Ian Huffman, 24, of Elmore, was killed.
Mr. Johnson, a volunteer firefighter with the Portage Fire District, was responding to a call for a ladder truck requested by neighboring Clay Center when the crash occurred. His attorney, Dean Henry, told the court no one knows for sure how fast Mr. Johnson was going, but that his client’s “motive for going fast — some would say too fast — was pure,” that he was on his way to help others.
The victim’s father, John Huffman, said he was prepared to ask the judge to give Mr. Johnson probation, but it bothered him that Mr. Johnson did not apologize to Ms. Duty and her parents, who were in the courtroom, and that he did not accept responsibility for his actions.
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Also on STATter911 …
- Raw video: Apartment fire in South Bend, Indiana. – May 25, 2012
- Raw video: Three-alarm house fire in old Ottawa. Firefighters had a tough time holding on to hoses. – July 17, 2012
- Raw video & pictures: Man rescued from balcony at rooming house in Ottawa. – May 15, 2012
- UPDATE – Radio Traffic: Captain Herbie Johnson, Chicago Fire Department killed in South Side house fire. CFD spokesman says flashover in attic. – November 2, 2012
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90 miles per hour!?
There is no reason for someone to go that fast to a emergency. While I am as a volunteer who can run red lights on my private vehicle I very seldom use them responding, only using them when I get to the incident. My safety and the safety of others is the most important thing.
Way too fast, as a local volunteer, I would never dream of going 90 plus mile an hour. I don’t know what the nature of the road is, or the driving conditions at the time, but it does not matter. Sad, Sad, Sad.
90 MPH?!? Who’s he think he is, a Miami cop???
There is no reason for driving at those speeds. As this guy learned, if you go too fast, you never get there.
Way too fast, no excuse. You are no good to anyone if you don’t make it to the scene. Even worse if you create another scene or incident – stretching the already tasked resources. As for not apologizing or ‘accepting responsibility’…ashame on you, someone died because of your actions…you deserve the sentencing in my book and you should never be in the fire or rescue service again, We’re here to help people…not hurt them.
Way too fast, no excuse. You are no good to anyone if you don’t make it to the scene. Even worse if you create another scene or incident – stretching the already tasked resources
yep, they usually teach you that the first week in EMT class.
Sure hope the response policy was changed concerning personal vehicles. There is no good reason to allow the squirrels to respond with red lights in their cars and allow them to break any traffic laws, regardless of the emergency. It’s been proven time and time again it’s a recipe for disaster. Too bad it takes a death and a permanent disability to prove the point .
So we should take the lights and sirens off fire apparatus and ambos too?
I bet there are more deadly crashes involving apparatus than POV’s.
Over 90 MPH!! That’s insane!! He’s lucky with 9 months. I got a reckless for 54 in a 45 on a POV response.
As a volunteer fire fighter in Victoria, Australia, we are in no way allowed to exceed or break any road laws in responding to the fire station. When driving fire appliances with lights and siren going, we have some exemptions, eg, proceeding through Red Lights, exceeding the speed limit etc. but should something happen, the driver is responsible for his actions.