By Suzie Ziegler
PALOS PARK, Ill. — An Illinois police officer was in the right place at the right time last week to help some senior citizens in need.
According to Palos Park Police, Officer Ross Chibe was patrolling a dark road early Monday when he saw a driver behaving strangely. The car drove very slowly and would stop and start. After following it for a while, Chibe made contact and found an elderly couple, believed to be in their 70s, according to Patch.com.
Chibe learned that the couple had left their South Carolina home last week, about 900 miles from Palos Park. The couple had been driving on and off for days and sleeping in their car, according to the report.
Seeing that the couple was weak and disoriented, Chibe made sure they were taken to a hospital for evaluation. The officer waited with the couple to make sure they were safe while trying to contact their family. According to police, Chibe was able to contact the couple’s son in Las Vegas to make arrangements for their safe return.
Palos Park Police Chief Joe Miller said the couple both had medical conditions.
“They were starting to have memory issues,” Miller told Patch.com. “They were just out driving, enjoyed it, and kept on driving and didn’t keep track of where they were or where they were going.”
Chibe has been involved with Palos Park PD since he was a 14-year-old cadet, according to Patch.com.