By FireRescue1 Staff
HAMPTON, Ill. — A man accused of stealing a fire truck and crashing it into an embankment has pleaded guilty.
The Dispatch Argus reported that Nathan Stottler was accused of stealing the truck while a crew was conducting inspections and then crashed it into an embankment near the Mississippi River.
Stottler then got into the river in an attempt to flee from police and was arrested after officers used fire department rescue boats.
Stottler was charged with two counts of Class X felony theft and one count of aggravated driving, but was given a lesser charge of a Class 1 felony theft in a plea deal.
East Moline Fire Chief Rob DeFrance said the truck cost $30,000 to repair after the incident.