Community Comes Together to Give 84-year-old Navy Vet a New Wheelchair
An 84-year-old Navy veteran whose wheelchair was stolen from outside a Savers store was surprised with a new one thanks to Taylorsville City, Unified Police and Overstock today. And Roy Feragen called his new wheelchair “a party.” “Surprises like this, it’s beautiful,” Feragen said “To have one this good, all lit up, my gosh, it’s like having a party. That’s a quick acting machine.”
Unified police officer Mike Wersland told Feragen that investigators had served a search warrant looking for his stolen wheelchair and that he was needed to identify evidence. Instead, Wersland brought the retired veteran, turning 85 next month, into Taylorsville City Hall, where he was given a brand new motorized wheelchair.
The presentation of the new wheelchair brought both Feragen and Wersland, who was the first officer Feragen came in contact with after the robbery, to tears.
Last week, Feragen went to Savers Thrift Store, 4151 S. Redwood Road, and parked his motorized wheelchair outside while he went in to look for a cook book. After shopping he returned to find his wheelchair was missing. Unified Police officers searched the area thoroughly, but could not locate the wheelchair. During the investigation it was learned that a couple had asked Savers personnel for a wheelchair at the same time the victim was in the store. The couple left about the same time the victim’s wheelchair went missing. The couple is described as being Caucasian, in their 20’s, and were wearing all black clothing.
“I guess someone pulled it up in a truck and hauled it off,” he said. “People can do damn near everything if you give them a chance.”
Wersland responded to scene and drove Feragen home. “The minute he came to help me he di
d his best to locate it,” Feragen, who used to work aboard an aircraft carrier, loading planes, said.
After the theft, Taylorsville City and Unified Police partnered with Salt Lake City-based, Overstock.com to provide a new wheelchair from Drive Medical for the victim at no cost. Mayor Larry Johnson, Sheriff James Winder and Brian Popelka from Overstock.com were all on hand to present Feragen with his new wheelchair.
Lieutenant Justin Hoyal from Unified Police said: “It’s very sad and tragic that someone would take it on themselves to steal a wheelchair, that someone needs.” And Mayor Johnson added: “I don’t like that to happen in my city, so we’re going to help you out. We always have bad news, and this is something we can get excited about. You mean the world to us all, thanks for your service.” Popelka said: “We want to be good community citizens and we’d do this a thousand times a day if we could.”
Anyone with information about the missing wheelchair can call Unified Police at 801-799-3000.
