Elderly driver with dementia rescued by police after he got lost and crashed into a field near Harborough

An elderly driver with dementia had to be rescued by police after he got lost and crashed into a field near Market Harborough on Monday night (October 5).

The 83-year-old man veered off the road and smashed into the field on Station Road deep into the countryside near Wistow, about 20 miles from his home just after 8pm, said police.

Police went to the scene to rescue and support the distressed pensioner after they were alerted by East Midlands Ambulance Service.

Fortunately the shaken-up motorist wasn’t injured in the incident.

But he was taken to hospital by ambulance to be assessed and checked over.

Police are now applying to have the pensioner’s driving licence taken away.

Lutterworth police said: “Was pleased to assist this 83-year-old male with dementia who got lost and crashed into a field 20 miles from his home. “To hospital for him, vehicle recovered.

“Form submitted revoking his driving licence.

“A real gentleman to deal with, though.”

A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said: “Shortly after 8pm on Monday (5 October) police were called to Station Road, near Wistow, by the East Midlands Ambulance Service to a report of a collision.

“It was reported one car had left the road and entered a field.

“The driver of the car, a man in his 80s, was not injured but taken to hospital as a precaution.”

Peter Hirst, chairman of the Dementia Harborough support group, told the Harborough Mail: “This is a very sad incident.

“I would just appeal to people living with dementia everywhere to please think twice before getting behind the wheel.”

He stressed: “And that advice doesn’t just apply to drivers with dementia.

“I’d urge all elderly people, especially if they have any sort of condition or disability, to think very carefully before driving.”

Peter said the growing Dementia Harborough charity is battling its way through the devastating Covid-19 outbreak in rude health.

“We are keeping our costs to a minimum, we don’t have any salaries to pay and that’s clearly helped.

“We obviously haven’t been able to hold any get-togethers for our 100 or so members since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March,” he said.

“But we have been dropping off jigsaw puzzles, books, colouring books and the like to the many people that we support and get behind as much as we can all over the Market Harborough area.”

You can check out Dementia Harborough on their website here: https://www.dementiaharborough.org/And you can get more excellent advice about driving with dementia on the Alzheimer’s Society website here: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/staying-independent/driving-and-dementia