Veteran replaces ‘stolen’ driveway for free

ORANGE COUNTY Fla. — Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, a concrete truck loudly rumbled down Bethesda Street to meet Mikol Rowland’s crew.

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A few minutes later and with a few beeps and clanks, fresh concrete began pouring down the discharge chute and into a carefully marked section of dirt.

At last, Amanda Brochu had her driveway back.

WFTV’s viral story about a scammer “stealing” Brochu’s driveway shortly before Christmas caught the world’s attention.

Millions of people debated why someone would want old concrete, until contractors began coming forward, saying they’d seen it happen before.

In Orange City, a friend texted Rowland a link to the story – and his reaction mirrored everyone else’s.

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“It was unbelievable,” he said. “Nobody believed that he would steal a driveway, and during the holidays, that’s like the worst time ever.”

While hundreds of donations poured into Brochu’s GoFundMe, Rowland knew he could help in a different way.

After retiring from the military, Rowland teamed up with a family member to start a company specializing in concrete.

Before long, the owner of MM Concrete Specialty was on the phone, offering to replace Brochu’s driveway for free.

“Somebody was in need of something that we could offer,” he explained. “We could bring some good into the world with it, so there was no question about it.”

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Rowland spent the last few weeks filing permits with Orange County and waiting for their approval.

On Friday, the green light was given at last.

Rowland estimated the work cost his company approximately $4,000 – significantly less than a normal driveway replacement with the demolition already finished – but he had no regrets.

It was worth it, he said, when he heard Brochu donated the money she collected to The Russell Home, which has cared for severely disabled infants, children and adults since the 1950′s and was preparing to take in three newborns, putting a strain on their finances.

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Driveway replaced (Nick Papantonis/WFTV)

“I would do it all over again. 10 times, if I could help the kids,” he said, smiling. “It’s just a win win win for everybody, and it feels good to hear a good story out in the news.”

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Despite the weeks of stress, Brochu was able to walk away from the situation equally satisfied, minus the fact that her home is still on the market – and the scammer hasn’t been caught.

“I was put in a bad situation, but there’s a beautiful outcome to the story,” she said. “I’m happy I’m finally getting the driveway put in and put an end to this madness.”

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