STOCKTON – A Fredonia couple escaped serious injury Wednesday when the vehicle they were in was swept off a roadway due to high flood waters in the town of Stockton. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s office says 83 year-old John VanScoter of Fredonia was traveling south on Stockton-Cassadaga Rd. and disobeyed two barricades closing the road due to high water.
VanScoter attempted to drive across the flooded roadway and drove into approximately three feet of water. As a result, his vehicle began to be swept away with the fast current.
VanScoter and his wife, who was a passenger in the car, were rescued and transported to Brooks Hospital by Stockton Rescue with non life threatening injuries. VanScoter was also charged with failure to obey a traffic control device.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents that they should never disobey road-closed signs, especially those involving flooded roadways.
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