PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY — Fire and rescue crews became stranded by floodwaters after they were called to rescue the driver of a pick up that drove through rising waters.
The call went out at 7:10 a.m., when crews from Prince William County and Quantico were dispatched to Fleetwood Drive behind the Marine Corps Base in Nokesville.
The driver of a pickup truck became stuck in rising waters on the Cedar Run and had to be assisted out of his truck, said Prince William County Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Matt Smolsky.
After they helped the man to safety, flood waters quickly rose behind the Prince William County fire engine, trapping the crew, the man they helped to safety, and three other bystanders who came to help.
Now, the Prince William crew had flood waters in front of and behind them, while the Quantico crew looked on from the other side, also separated by flood waters. The fire trucks stayed clear of the water.
Firefighters could only sit and wait for flood waters to recede.
On Brent Town Road in Fauquier County, which becomes Fleetwood Drive once you cross the Prince William County, a head-on collision closed a portion of the road about 8 a.m.
That sent drivers on the busy by-way that links Stafford County with Manassas seeking alternate routes. However, many were greeted by floodwaters on many of the bailout routes they chose to use to include Elk Run, Bristersburg, and Courthouse roads in Fauquier County.
As heavy rains fell overnight in Prince William County, crews were called to at least three rescues due to high water. A total of eight people were assisted to safety, said Smolsky.
It’s been another week of heavy rains in the region, following last week’s deluge that caused a major sinkhole in Stafford County.
Storms stay in the forecast through the weekend.
