A Bradford man will serve two years of probation for a drunken rampage through a work zone on a backhoe last June.
Todd Moonan, 56, of 874 High St., was sentenced to 24 months probation, to pay restitution of $13,209, to have no contact with the victims, to perform 80 hours of community service, to obtain a mental health evaluation, and other conditions.
Moonan, represented by attorney Greg Henry, had pleaded guilty Feb. 1 to DUI, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and three counts of criminal mischief — damaging property.
According to the criminal complaint, around 6:45 p.m. June 19, Bradford Township Police Officer Don Neel was stationed on South Avenue on a special detail to slow vehicles down for a Bradford City Water Authority construction project. He was notified by a construction worker of a man on the job site damaging equipment and chasing people with a “track loader.”
Neel responded to the job site and was told by a supervisor that it was Moonan “and he almost killed some workers,” and now he was driving north on South Avenue. The officer saw a backhoe traveling north and activated his lights and siren. The backhoe didn’t stop, but turned down East Warren Road and continued to 866 High St., where he pulled in the driveway and shut the backhoe off. Moonan was the operator, and the officer noted that he showed signs of intoxication. The officer asked him what had happened, the complaint stated.
Moonan told the officer there was a disagreement with the contractor, Mortimer’s Excavating, and that he “went to the site and moved some dirt,” the complaint stated.
The crews with Mortimer’s Excavating and Bradford Water Authority told a different story. According to them, Moonan drove his full-size Case backhoe through the construction site and onto lands adjacent, which are owned by the Moonan family. Construction equipment and supplies were being stored there per a prior agreement. Once there, Moonan used his backhoe to scoop a load of dirt with the front bucket and dump it onto a street broom and a utility truck, striking a staged water pipe and driving toward two of Mortimer’s employees, dumping a load of dirt toward one of the workers and requiring workers to run out of the way, the complaint stated.
The incident was captured on a cellphone belonging to one of Mortimer’s crew members, who said Moonan made direct eye contact with him before driving at him with the bucket raised a few feet off the ground, the complaint stated.
