A 96-year-old Alexandria man is in critical condition after he was left on a church bus in below-freezing temperatures for nearly 18 hours, police said.
The volunteer bus driver who normally drops off Prostler Samuels each week apparently forgot about the elderly passenger Sunday and left him in the Alfred Street Baptist Church parking lot, said deacon James Garrett.
“[The driver’s] distraught, he’s an emotional wreck,” Garrett said.
Church members have visited Samuels and are praying for him, Garrett said. He said Samuels appears responsive and has spoken to some of the members.
The nursing home staff at Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center began looking for Samuels Sunday and called Alexandria police at about 8:30 p.m., said police spokeswoman Amy Bertsch.
The church at 301 S. Alfred St. was closed at that time and the police officer dropped the investigation after the nursing home staff indicated that they thought they knew where Samuels had gone Sunday night, Bertsch said.
The next morning, after Woodbine called the church, the Rev. Ed Jackson found Samuels on the bus at about 9 a.m.
Alexandria police are interviewing church members and nursing home employees and have not made any arrests, Bertsch said.
