(Whitney Point, NY) – Remember when Kevin McCallister was left behind by his family in the movie “Home Alone” and again in “Home Alone 2”?
New York State Police found out this week it’s not unusual for travelers to be left behind. On Monday, Trooper TJ Conklin, of State Police, Gateway, was called to check on the welfare of an elderly man at the Whitney Point Rest Area on Interstate 81 South in northern Broome County.
There, Conklin found a stranded gentleman whose family accidentally left him behind after he stepped out of their vehicle to stretch his legs. He had no wallet, no phone and no way to reach his family. Conklin used the internet to identify family members, but none of the phone numbers were correct.
Finally, the trooper got an answer from a family member in another state, who was able to make contact with the gentleman’s family travelling in the car. They had just realized he wasn’t sleeping in the backseat where he had left his jacket over some baggage. The man’s family had already traveled three hours away!
Conklin drove the gentleman to Roscoe, NY, where everyone enjoyed sinner at a local diner. Conklin was applauded for showing compassion and working diligently to locate this man’s family.
