Traffic Citation

DATE & TIME: 03-18-2019 @ 7:51 am

LOCATION: West Hickory Road / Big Blue River    

OFFENSE: Traffic Citation

CASE #: 2019-1313

On Monday, 03-18-2019 the Gage County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a motorist assist on West Hickory Road, just west of the Big Blue River Bridge, where a vehicle was stuck in the water. An investigator for the Gage County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and located the driver, 36-year-old Joshua Birmingham of Beatrice, sitting in his 2010 Ford Focus on West Hickory Road. The road had been closed for several days, due to flooding in the area, however Birmingham drove past the “Road Closed” signs and drove east on West Hickory Road where water was running over the roadway, passing clumps of muddy debris and large logs, until his vehicle stalled.

The investigator was able to drive up to Birmingham’s vehicle, which had stalled in water about six inches deep, and had him get into the sheriff’s office vehicle, and drove him back to a dry area near the Koch plant. Birmingham was issued citations for disobeying a traffic control device and driving with an expired driver’s license.

A tow truck was dispatched to the scene to retrieve Birmingham’s vehicle.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310