DPS trooper helps veteran with broken scooter on I-17 in north Phoenix
PHOENIX - An Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper came to the aid of a man in distress along a north Phoenix freeway.
The incident happened on Aug. 7 along Interstate 17 near Greenway when an elderly man was riding a scooter and the battery died.
Trooper Lucas Adams arrived at the scene and pushed the man back to his home a quarter-mile away, DPS said. Temperatures in Phoenix on Sunday reached 105°F.
It started out like any other workday for Adams.
"As I pulled up and talked with him, I could tell he had been sweating profusely, been there a while. Talking with him, found out his motor died, and his battery died on his wheelchair that he had," Adams said.
He says the man was a disabled war veteran on his way home from an errand. The wheelchair is his only means of getting around.
"My heart goes out to him because it’s hot out there this time of year, and it doesn’t take long to start feeling the effects of heat," Adams said.
So, he started pushing.
"Those wheels felt like they had tension on it. I was trying to overpower the tension on the wheels, but my biggest concern was just making sure that he got home safely," Adams said.
A quarter of a mile later, they made it back to the man’s apartment complex.
As for Adams, he calls this one of the most rewarding experiences of his career.
"The reason why I love being a police officer is you never know what you’re gonna encounter each day, and you always have that opportunity to help someone. You put on that badge and make a positive impact," Adams said.
An Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper came to the aid of a man in distress along a north Phoenix freeway.