A 20-year-old male was rescued from his vehicle after he ignored the “road closed” sign ahead of a flooded Scottsdale road.
Mr. Moore was driving his Jeep Renegade near Miller Road and Holly Street after a recent monsoon storm rolled into Scottsdale, flooding the Indian Bend Wash.
Proper “road closed” and “flooding ahead” signs were posted on the road but that did not stop Moore.
“I just thought it was more convenient going through this and I didn’t see how powerful the water was at the time,” said Moore. “I tried to go in reverse but it stalled and my engine shut off and I needed to get rescued.”
Fire personnel from Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix were called to the water rescue, according to the Scottsdale Fire Department. When crews arrived, Moore was sitting on the hood of his car in approximately 2 feet of swift-moving water.
A Tempe rescue team walked out and retrieved Moore, bringing him to dry land.
“Obey the signs, do not enter flooded streets as drivers cannot determine how deep the water is, how fast it is moving, and drivers don’t know what the hazards might be under the water,” said the Scottsdale Fire Department.
Moore said he now knows to never try and drive in a flooded street.
“The lesson is, when there is a closed road sign, don’t drive on it,” said Moore. “Go the long way.”
Moore said he was given 4 citations by the Scottsdale Police Department, including one for Arizona’s “Stupid Motorist Law,” which may charge a motorist the cost of their rescue if they become stranded after driving around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway.
“I think they gave me too many consequences,” said Moore. “It’s a small mistake.”