Submitted by uppitycrip t3_11a0lv9 in Maine
Comments
eljefino t1_j9qlj4m wrote
Sorry not sorry. The bio says they "have trouble processing information." They should at a minimum get retested for their licenses, with the inspector giving directions any qualified driver can follow.
Coffee-FlavoredSweat t1_j9pc952 wrote
> Topsham police provided an update on the search Thursday morning, saying their last known location was at an Irving gas station in Springfield, Maine, about 50 miles from the Canadian border, around 10 a.m. Wednesday. They said law enforcement agencies in northern Maine have been notified in hopes of finding them.
Last cell phone ping was in Candia, NH, and the next day they’re 250 miles away in Springfield? At least they’re still on the road and not in a ditch.
Seems reasonable that they’ll eventually run into a border checkpoint, or out of gas and actually have to interact with someone.
Coffee-FlavoredSweat t1_j9pe3m2 wrote
I’d bet they passed through Springfield on the way to Topsfield because of their disorientation, thinking it was Topsham. Once they got to Topsfield and realized they were still lost, they may have recognized signs for Route 1 and followed that either north or south.
Coffee-FlavoredSweat t1_j9pht3f wrote
Once the women are found, the families really need to look into a GPS tracker for the future. They make trackers that just plug into the OBDII port under the dashboard and then you can track the vehicle wherever with an app on your phone.
DidDunMegasploded t1_j9q2ab5 wrote
Let me take it one step further: they shouldn't be driving at all.
Seriously. Even my grandfather gave up driving when he hit his late 60s, and over the years, he became afflicted by memory loss until he was almost a vegetable by the time I visited him in the nursing home in what would be the final time I ever saw him.
If these women come out of this alive, I will be utterly floored. But elderly people who are disoriented and don't have a good sense of direction should not be on the roads.
Coffee-FlavoredSweat t1_j9q3g61 wrote
I wouldn’t go that far. There are a number of reasons why this could have happened, some of which include unbalanced medications for mental health issues.
I have a family member who is perfectly capable of driving a vehicle and getting from place to place without issue, but twice in the past decade she’s gone off her meds and there were issues. Once she drove across 3 states before she got pulled over and the officer recognized a mental health issue, the second time she was just 2 towns over knocking on a random door asking if she could buy their house.
I don’t know these two women or their situation, but I don’t think we can just assume they both have advanced dementia and belong in a nursing home, rather than just an isolated issue that can be fixed.
procrastinatorsuprem t1_j9r6le3 wrote
They are in their early 50s and don't have dementia. If they are on meds they've probably run out since they've been missing for days.
LawDogSavy t1_j9q90at wrote
Or at least someone show them how to use Google Maps.
SheSellsSeaShells967 t1_j9qwhz3 wrote
I have worked for years with people with intellectual disabilities. The term “Intellectually disabled” has replaced “mental retardation”. Sorry to say those words, but many people don’t understand what ID actually means. And yes many of these people have mental illness as well. I would be very interested to find out the backstory to this.
In the last year or so the federal government has implemented new regulations regarding this population’s rights. Of course we want these folks to live as independently as possible and to make as many good choices as possible. However, many live in group homes with 24/7 staff. They may live somewhat independently but with staff coming in for part of the day. And some live with parents for as long as possible. The majority have some type of caseworker.
I, and many others in this field, have concerns about some of the expanded rights. For instance, a client can leave the house anytime they want for whatever reason. We are not allowed to stop them and we are not allowed to call the police for 24 hours. That can be very dangerous for some of the people I work with. In the past, we kept any money they had locked up, and we were required to keep very precise bookkeeping and receipts that were turned in monthly. Now the clients manage their own money and keep their cash in their bedrooms. If money were stolen or lost we have no idea where to even start looking. And you can imagine that sets them up for exploitation. There are a few others that I won’t get into that we are very concerned will end in some type of disaster.
I have NO knowledge of this particular case, but my colleagues and I are wondering if this was a situation where they were not permitted to stop them from leaving, going with them, or protecting them in some other way. We are really wondering how one of the ladies has a drivers license. But she may be high functioning and was able to get a license. I really hope that they are found soon and found safe. This is terrifying.
uppitycrip OP t1_j9v43i6 wrote
Take your pro institutional stance out of this, and you are factually incorrect about the length of time you need to call the police so I doubt that you’re as professional as you think you are.
SheSellsSeaShells967 t1_j9vxylc wrote
Well, I hope you are right, but that is what we have been directed to do by the owner of our agency. I do not agree with waiting that long.
uppitycrip OP t1_j9wd8a5 wrote
Completely agree and I’m aware that sometimes a Silver alert can be triggered when the person is older or has a disability and they are in danger. I know it was used in this case but it’s still so frustrating because I know that both of them are very much loved by a huge community of people. I have known Angela since I was younger and she can be difficult to understand on the phone. I wish that there’s something that people could volunteer to help find her. Thanks for your reply and sorry if I was a bit harsh but this really sucks and I pray that they are found safe
SheSellsSeaShells967 t1_j9wlatf wrote
No problem! This is really troublesome that someone hasn’t found them. I heard earlier that they were going to try to get planes up but there might’ve been a problem with cloud cover. I will be thinking of them and you.
uppitycrip OP t1_ja534y6 wrote
They are Alive and have been found and are being checked out in a hospital, the Facebook post did not say where they were found!!
profmoxie t1_j9ykxkb wrote
I don’t understand why state police did not go and find these women on Wednesday. They were at the Irving station in the morning and were already reported missing. They could very well be in a ditch by now with the cold and snow.
The timeline and lack of police involvement here does not make sense.
DarthSudo1 t1_ja18uiy wrote
This story is absolutely heart breaking, no matter which party is to blame. I hope they find them safe & sound. Hearing the driver’s mother talk about her killed me.
uppitycrip OP t1_ja58rtq wrote
They were found by the Maine Warden Service in East Hancock and they are being treated at the hospital
[deleted] t1_j9rdjqi wrote
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srfyrk418 t1_j9plp2v wrote
Sorry but these women shouldn’t be driving.