Kensington man pleas for return of stolen wheelchair

KENSINGTON (WPVI) -- A Kensington man is making a public plea for the return of his wheelchair after it was stolen, leaving him unable to get around.

Bill Dyer tells us he's hoping someone will have a change of heart.

Dyer fell victim to a freak accident several years ago.

"I was hit by a train," said Dyer.

As you would imagine, someone like Dyer relies heavily on his power chair to get around.

Normally, it's chained to his porch railing.

Unfortunately, the chain was cut around two weeks ago, and someone stole his power chair.

"It was my total independence, that's what it was. All my independence is gone now," said Dyer.

The cost to replace it would be around $5,000, Dyer said.

That's money he doesn't have, and now he's trusting others with the money he does have to get the things he needs.

"I've been getting other people to do it for me, but I'm nervous about giving PIN numbers out and stuff like that," said Dyer.

With his power chair, Dyer would typically be able to make a trip to the corner market in a matter of seconds. Action News walked with Dyer as he took several minutes to make the trip.

"I really have to do what I have to do. I can't just starve to death," said Dyer.

The average person likely takes walking for granted. Obviously, that's not a luxury Dyer has.

His plan now is to wait for the suspect to have a change of heart.

"You wouldn't want to have this done to your grandmother, and if you would return it to me, that's my livelihood, and I would very much appreciate it," said Dyer.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.