Man steals fire rescue truck during house blaze, crashes into fire engine and flees

At approximately 3:50 a.m., state troopers arrived in Dalton to assist local fire crews battling a fully involved house fire when they discovered a Whitefield Fire & Rescue rescue truck missing. Nestor Roman II, 30, allegedly entered the F-550, drove it around the scene, and passed a Whitefield E3 fire engine, almost hitting two firefighters and narrowly missing a third. He then slammed into the engine, a small pickup, and ran over multiple water supply lines, also damaging a neighbor’s fence and a firefighter’s personal vehicle.

The chase ended when a Dalton homeowner reported the stolen truck had crashed on their property; police found Roman on the porch and took him into custody despite his lack of cooperation. He is charged with three felony reckless-conduct counts, burglary, theft, and several misdemeanors such as obstructing government administration and driving over a fire hose without consent. The fire was declared a total loss, but the damaged E3 remained operational, and no firefighters were injured.