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Dec. 18--BRIDGEPORT -- Firefighters escaped possible injury early Saturday morning when a city man continually drove over their hose as they battled a large trash bin blaze near the intersection of Lindley and Salem Streets.
Police Officer Barry Jones arrested Samuel Gonzalez, 21, of 280 Harborview Avenue, for interfering with a firefighter and also issued him motor vehicle summonses for driving over a fire hose, operating a motor vehicle while his license is suspended, misusing license plates, having insufficient insurance and unsafe backing. He was released from police custody after posting $4,000 bond.
Additionally, police found a very small quantity of marijuana inside a folded sheet of paper when Gonzalez emptied his pockets in the booking area. Police said he admitted to having smoked some before his arrest.
West Side Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Martin said the series of events began with a dumpster blaze behind Liberty Electric around 1:30 a.m. St. Vincent's Medical Center security officers reported the fire.
While firefighters were extinguishing the stubborn blaze, Gonzalez, driving a 1996 Honda Civic, came down the street heading straight for the five-foot thick hose.
"Stop, stop! You're going to run over the hose," shouted Fire Captain Michael Caldaroni.
But it was too late. Gonzalez ran over the hose and then backed up running over it again.
Caldaroni finally caught up with him, reached through the open window and turned off the car before removing the keys from the ignition.
"That hose is under extreme pressure," said Martin. "The weight of a car on top of it could blow off the metal coupling that holds the 50-foot lengths together."
Police and fire officials said if that happened, the resulting explosion of water, along with the heavy metal coupling, could severely injure nearby firefighters.
"Luckily, this happened in front of a lot of the guys," said Martin. "They were able to reduce the pressure before the hose was damaged."
Gonzalez's Honda, bearing a plate that belonged to a Pontiac Grand Prix, was towed off the hose to Jerry's Auto Body on Stratford Avenue.