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LANCASTER, Pa. — A Pequea Township man was sentenced Wednesday to 33 to 66 months in state prison for using his tractor trailer to attack a fire police lieutenant directing traffic during a 2023 fire in the town Caernarvon.

Craig Robert Godfrey, 65, was convicted in September of aggravated assault by physical threat and misdemeanor reckless endangerment after a jury trial. The charges stemmed from an incident on June 3, 2023, in which Godfrey, driving an 18-wheeler, repeatedly rear-ended his truck at Lt. Timothy Cunningham, who was blocking a closed road near the scene of the fire.

Prosecutors said Godfrey ignored Cunningham’s instructions to turn around and tried to force his way through the closed road, escalating to the point where Cunningham had to physically move away from the moving truck to avoid being hit . Part of the confrontation was captured on Godfrey’s dash cam.

First Assistant District Attorney Travis Anderson criticized Godfrey’s actions, stating, “He prioritized the comfort of others over the safety of others and used his truck as a weapon.” Anderson added that first responders deserve the full protection of the law while performing their duties.

Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker, who sentenced Godfrey, chided him for victim-blaming in court, calling his remarks “offensive.” Reinaker stressed the importance of listening to emergency personnel, saying, “We can’t override the instructions of someone in (the victim’s) position.”

The ruling underscores the essential protections afforded to first responders who risk their safety to protect the public.