A deputy police chief in Pennsylvania went above and beyond the call of duty when he took an elderly man to the hospital to see his ailing wife after she had been transported to the hospital.
No longer able to drive, Roger Baker, 84, was out of options to get to the hospital, with no family or friends to take him there, WNEP reported. His wife of more than 60 years, also 84, had suffered a medical emergency and was taking to the Williamsport Regional Medical Center.
At the time, he had no idea how his wife was doing, according to police.
Baker decided to call the police department for help, and Montoursville Police Deputy Chief Jason Bentley was there to take the call.
Bentley decided to escort Baker himself to the hospital.
“You can’t imagine what’s going through someone’s mind at that age when they’ve been together that long,” Bentley said.
During the ride, Baker told Bentley that a few times when his wife had fallen, instead of calling 911 he flagged down motorists outside his home and paid them $10 to take them to the hospital.
Bentley then told Baker to “call anytime.”
“We’re always helping people out,” Bentley said. “It’s what we do.”
Once the pair got to the hospital, Bentley realized how frail Baker was when he held on to the side of the police car for a while to get his balance.
“I didn’t realize he was that bad, so that’s when I grabbed his hand and started walking him in,” he said.
A police intern then snapped a photo of Bentley walking Baker into the hospital.
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Right after the picture was taken, hospital staff came outside and escorted Baker in on a wheelchair, according to the police department.
The police department said they shared the photo of Bentley and Baker because they want the community to feel comfortable calling for help, no matter the situation.
“”It’s a small town, so you try to help out when you can,” Bentley said.
Baker’s neighbor, Jim Parsons said it was “nice” to know the extent of the police department’s commitment to the community.
“It makes you think a little bit, those people are here to help you,” he said.
WNEP spoke to Baker on Friday, who at the time wasn’t sure if or when his wife’s condition would improve.
(H/T: WNEP)