April 8, 2008 marks 17 years since Lawrence Park Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Crotty died in the line of duty, while responding to a fire alarm on Troupe Rd. in Harborcreek, due to a lack of fail safe on the ladder of a fire truck.

Every year on April 8, Lawrence Park Fire Chief Joe Crotty, Michael's uncle, drives down to the scene as a way of paying tribute to his nephew.

At the time it happened, Joe was the fire chief in Titusville and remembered receiving a call about the tragic news and then having to relay it to his family.

The drive is not the only tribute that ensures Michael will never be forgotten, there is a shadow box of his gear in the dayroom at the fire hall and if you have ever driven through Lawrence Park before, you have probably driven on the Michael D. Crotty Memorial Parkway.

Michael Crotty was also a firefighter for the Erie Fire Department and dreamed of becoming a firefighter in New York City.

He passed the examinations needed with flying colors but received his acceptance letter a month after his death.