Classes at IUPUI began this week, but one student has no way of getting there.
Tyler Parson, 25, of Greenwood recently had his handicap accessible van stolen from his driveway. The van was found two days later, but with three wheels missing and damage on the outside. Right now, the family still cannot use it to transport Tyler Parson.
Tyler Parson has Friedreich’s Ataxia, a disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but slower to progress. He uses a wheelchair and he cannot travel to his classes at IUPUI, doctor’s appointments or to visit his grandma without his handicap accessible van.
“It’s hard,” Tyler Parson said. “I’m not able to go very many places.”
The van disappeared from the family’s driveway in the middle of the night on New Year’s Eve. Tyler Parson’s father, Patrick Parson, woke up the next morning and noticed the van was gone.
“My mom woke me up early in the morning and I actually thought she was joking,” Tyler Parson said.
The van was found two days later in Indianapolis by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police. The vehicle is now held by the family’s insurance company as they assess the damages. Three wheels and the battery were missing, and damage was done on the driver’s side as if the driver ran into something, Patrick Parson said.
The handicap equipment inside was not stolen.
“They took three out of four wheels, which is funny because all four were brand new,” Patrick Parson said.
Patrick Parson said he can’t yet estimate how much the damage may cost because they do not know the extent. He said it will also depend on how the insurance company values the car, either at its value alone at $5,000 or including the handicap accessible equipment worth $40,000.
Right now, the family is scrambling to find a way to transport Tyler. They are looking at different transport options until they receive word on the status of the van.
“We began to realize the magnitude of this van being gone,” Patrick Parson said.
