A couple of brazen thieves stole a fire hydrant after a one car crash on Route 206 in Andover Borough this past Tuesday. The opportunistic crooks picked up the fire hydrant and loaded it into their car after 18 year old Conan Escala of Hopatcong ran it over. Escala was traveling south and swerved off the highway. He had only minor injuries. The accident is still being investigated. What makes this worthy of being a news story is what happened before first responders and police arrived on the scene. A homeowner who looked out his window after hearing the crash witnessed two men pick up the dislodged fire hydrant and put it in the truck of their car. The drivers took off before the homeowner could get his glasses to see their license plate. He thinks the vehicle was a Chrysler 300. Since the fire hydrant was made of cast iron the thieves probably saw the potential to get some money for the scrap metal. All scrap metal sales in New jersey have to be documented. It's estimated the hydrant weighed between 80 and 150 pounds. Escala's insurance will replace the hydrant. State Police continue to investigate.
Source: New Jersey Herald