ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. (WSVN) — A truck driver is now out of a job after he gave his truck load of plywood to Tampa residents to use for Hurricane Irma.
According to Fox 13, Tim McCrory initially began making his trip from Massachusetts to Tampa with 15 pallets of plywood when his truck caught a flat tire, forcing him to wait seven hours for a replacement before he could continue his journey.
However, once he made it to his destination at a Home Depot in Zephyrhills, he discovered the store had closed ahead of the storm, and that he wouldn’t be able to complete the delivery until Tuesday.
McCrory then decided to wait out the storm in his vehicle.
While waiting, Fox 13 reports, McCrory came across an off-duty officer searching for plywood. That’s when McCrory realized residents still needed plywood.
Word spread among first responders and law enforcement who all came searching for plywood, so McCrory and the others began handing out plywood to those in need. “With the hurricane coming, I couldn’t just sit there,” McCrory told FOX 13 News.
McCrory said he knew he could lose his job but also knew he could potentially be helping save lives.
McCrory said 960 pieces of plywood had been given out, helping as many as 200 households.
According to Western Express, McCrory was not fired for his good deed. The company’s CEO, Paul Weick said McCrory left on his own accord. “I’m glad people got something they needed, but at the same time, you can’t have anarchy in the country. You can’t have people give away things that are not theirs,” Weick told Fox 13.
Western Express said they will pay the total for the plywood, which would be somewhere between $12,000 and $20,000. The company doesn’t plan to investigate further because McCrory is no longer employed there.
However, the CEO did say they would welcome him back on their team and have tried to contact him to no avail.
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