That time Todd cut me a break

Couldn't end this week without my farewell to Todd Holloway.

Todd died Sunday after a long and courageous bout with cancer. We had lost touch these last few years, but I kept up with his progress on Facebook. Todd was loved by many; the Holloway family is a good bunch of Inverness folk.

Our paths first crossed many moons ago. Todd worked road patrol for the Inverness Police Department during a time when Citrus County newspaper reporters and cops enjoyed freedom to banter about, without worrying about some official spokesman butting in.

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Of course, a story.

We’re going back quite some time, about 30 years. The state had a ceremony to open the Cypress Creek juvenile prison in Lecanto.

I didn’t attend, but the Chronicle photographer came back and immediately grabbed my interest. The photographer had overheard a local judge tell someone he was pulled over for driving 90 mph on the way to the event, but got out of the ticket because he told the officer he was on official business.

Um…what?

We worked the angle and confirmed that, yes, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper had stopped the judge on S.R. 44. The details grew murky after that. By day’s end, we were close but didn’t really have the story.

So I called the judge at his home. Asked him point-blank if it happened the way we heard. He gave it up. Said judges should be allowed to speed when they’re headed to an official ceremony. 

We had the story. Remember, this is before Al Gore invented the internet, so gossip and chatter happened the old-fashioned way. Down at the Courthouse, that’s all people were talking about. The cops, particularly troopers, were furious and embarrassed. The county judge told me all the speeders showed up for court that morning expecting a break.

We had a follow-up story where the judge sheepishly acknowledged the error of his ways. Everyone got a good laugh.

Now, about Todd.

About a week after that story, my then-wife and I were headed to an event when IPD Officer Todd Holloway pulled me over for speeding on S.R. 44 in Inverness. We waited in a parking lot while he wrote a ticket. Todd then came to my window with a written warning and suggested I have a safe night.

No ticket? Whew!

Before Todd drove off, I turned to my wife and said, “Do you think he gave me a break because of that judge story?”

I got out of my car and chased him down as he was starting to drive away. He rolled down the window, somewhat perplexed.

“Are you giving me a break because of the story I wrote about the speeding judge?” I asked.

Todd laughed. “Of course not!” he said.

A few weeks later, Todd fessed up. A copy of the story was pinned to the squad room bulletin board. All the officers got a kick out of it. It made Todd’s night to give me a pass.

Other than that one time, we never talked about it again. But we always shared that experience, and would nod knowingly whenever our paths crossed.

Sometime later, Chronicle Editor Charlie Brennan and I were headed to Louisville, Kentucky, for what I’m guessing was a valuable (ha!) work trip. We boarded the plane, and who’s sitting in the row behind us?

“Hey, Todd!”

“Hey, Mike.”

Charlie looked at me. “You know people on the PLANE?”

I grinned. “Never can tell.”

It’s sad that Todd had to suffer in his later years. This man brought so much joy to others, and his loss leaves a giant hole in the hearts of his loved ones.

A Celebration of Life for Todd is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at The Moose Lodge, 221 S. Haid Terrace, Lecanto.

Just wanted to share a fond memory. RIP, Todd Holloway.

Have a great Thursday, friends.

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