A Cape Coral man says he was ticketed by police while helping stranded drivers from the flooding over the weekend in the city.
Jorge Mazur drives a Nissan Titan with four-wheel drive.
"The cars couldn't get through the road, people couldn't get to their homes. They were parking their cars at shopping centers and we were giving rides through the water," Mazur said.
He said during his last trip giving someone a ride to work, he ended up with a $163 ticket. He said he was driving up to the bridge on Chiquita Boulevard a mile south of Veterans when he saw a police officer, barricade, and truck. He was taking video of the flooding on his cell phone and happened to catch the scene on camera.
"So I went to the other lane for probably 15 to 20 feet, and the police officer pulled me over," Mazur said.
He said he tried explaining he was helping people out, but was handed the ticket.
When asked if he knew if the road was closed, Mazur said no.
"There were trucks parked all over the Cape," he said. "If there was a road closed sign there, which there wasn't, of course I wouldn't have gone down that road."
His cell phone video taken just before he was pulled over shows no sign there. When he went back to the bridge later, he says he took another video showing a sign was put up.
Mazur said he understands why Cape Coral Police take flooding so seriously and are just trying to do their job, he just wishes the officer understood he was trying to do his part before writing him that ticket.
"I don't know how I'm going to pay it. It makes me sick to my stomach," Mazur said.
Mazur said if he would have known the road was closed or was trying to do something illegal, he wouldn't have done this right in front of a police officer.
Four in Your Corner reached out to Cape Coral Police, but their public information office has been closed.
