Former Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Raiders running back Greg Pruitt was rescued by Cleveland firefighters Friday after the 74-year-old attempted to drive through several feet of water that flooded a street following a water main break.
Pruitt said he didn’t realize the water was as deep as it was until it began filling the cab of his Nissan pickup.
He said he climbed out of his sunroof to safety.
“We could hear him because he was blowing the horn,” said Monte Madden, whose family owns a truck wash and auto recycling business nearby.
Madden and his uncle pulled Pruitt’s truck out of the water.
He said he’s fed up with the flooding on a low-lying section and avenue that passes underneath a train bridge.
“We have to rescue people out of our own neighborhood,” said Madden.
Madden said street flooding when it rains has been an ongoing problem for years, but seems to be getting worse.
Signs warn drivers that the road may flood, but he said many either don’t see the signs or ignore them.
Now he’s worried that if someone doesn’t do something to alleviate the lakes that form on the secluded section of street, the consequences will be deadly.
“My worry is that someone may be in a smaller car,” said Madden, “and come through here and not make it.”
This article was originally published by Scott Noll for the Scripps News Group station in Cleveland.
