UNIVERSITY CIRCLE, Ohio (WJW) – Police helped a woman suffering a medical emergency who wouldn’t go to the hospital without her wheelchair, which didn’t fit into the ambulance.
“She had some grimace on her face,” said Officer Jeff Ridler, with the University Circle Police Department. “You could tell she was in some immense pain, and so it was definitely a medical emergency.”
It happened Saturday around 3 p.m. at the annual Parade the Circle in Cleveland. About 10,000 to 12,000 people attended the lively artistic event with temperatures around 85 degrees, though it’s unclear if those conditions led to the woman’s health crisis.
The woman’s expensive and heavy electric wheelchair couldn’t be lifted into the EMS unit or police vehicles, and no other transport services were available.
She didn’t want to leave without it.
“We can’t just leave it on the side of the road. This is something she depends on on a daily basis,” said Ridler. “I promised her that we would get her the wheelchair.”
Dispatcher Emily Beny immediately volunteered to help with the wheelchair.
“I just said, ‘Why don’t I just drive it?’” said Beny.
She never imagined what would happen next.
The distance is only around a quarter of a mile, but the wheelchair could only travel .9 mph, so it took around 40 minutes.
Emily didn’t mind the time but said she couldn’t believe how aggressive some drivers were despite seeing the wheelchair.
“It was definitely eye-opening,” she said. “I couldn’t even get across Euclid in one light cycle. Captain Alanna Smith had to take the golf cart and block off traffic.”
They safely made it to the hospital and delivered the chair to the emergency room, where the grateful woman was undergoing treatment and later admitted.
“I literally had a sigh of relief because this wheelchair that she depends on is now reunited with her,” said Officer Ridler.
Police Chief Thomas Wetzel was also proud of how they responded, saying it’s part of their department’s “heart culture” as public servants and guardians.
“It just made me feel good about the department and our personnel, but I wasn’t surprised because that’s typically what they’d do,” said Wetzel.
However, regarding the aggressive drivers, they added one request for anyone on the road: Please be patient and cognizant of those with physical challenges.
“Like I feel so bad that’s as fast as she can go, but yeah, you’ve just got to be patient,” said Beny. “I’m glad she did reach out to the officers, and I do hope that she’s OK.”
