I saved an old man's life today....and nobody else cared.

[Liberty Belle]

Two cars ahead of me dodged around an old man in pajamas and slippers, walking with a cane down the center of a freeway onramp (southbound Governor Drive exit to 805 in San Diego).

I couldn't believe nobody else stopped to help him, as he was obviously on the verge of collapse.

We pulled over and asked if he needed help. He was obviously very confused, probably an Alzheimer's patient who wandered away from a facility somewhere, though there were no such facilities or even residences anywhere close by. Or maybe someone had dumped this poor man off and abandoned him.

He had a large wad of hundred dollar bills and asked us to give him a ride to a casino. He was very red in the face, gasping for breath, and clutching his chest each time he spoke. He told us his name, but couldn't remember where he lived or how he'd gotten there. I asked his phone number, but when I called it was disconnected.

We called 911 and got him to sit in our car while we waited a full 10 minutes for CHP to arrive, with the fire dept. on the scene shortly after. They took him to a hospital for medical treatment. I don't know who he was or what happened to him, and don't know if we'll ever find out. There is nothing on the news about him, and I can only hope that someone reported him missing.

Please folks, don't ever hesitate to stop and help a fellow human being in need. I shudder to think what might have happened to this kindly old man if we had not pulled over.