Monroe County, MI – State Representative Will Bruck led the Michigan House of Representatives in approving his plan to recognize fallen Monroe Township Fire Captain, Joseph Liedel with a stretch of highway named in his honor.
In the first vote of 2024, Bruck’s measure was approved by the House with unanimous support.
The legislation, House Bill 4845, would rename the stretch of highway where Liedel’s former fire station is located as the ‘Captain Joseph M. Liedel Memorial Highway.’ The stretch would run along M-125, also known as South Dixie Highway, from the intersection with East Dunbar Road and continue south to the intersection with East Albain Road.
On July 31st, 2020, Liedel collapsed on the way to his vehicle as he was responding to a call. It was later determined that he had suffered a life-threatening brain bleed. Liedel was unable to recover from the incident and passed away on August 24th, 2020, at the age of 48.
Liedel is the only firefighter in the history of the Monroe Charter Township Fire Department to die in the line of duty.
House Bill 4845 now advances to the Senate for further consideration.