Davenport Teen Receives Classic Truck From Grandpa in Ohio

88-year-old Fred Lorenz gave up driving this last year, but decided on going for one final drive in his 1946 Hudson pickup. Little did he know, he'd end up 350 miles away.

“He was glad people could have a good giggle over it,” Fred's daughter Ann Garton told Citizen's Voice.

Lorenz spent Easter weekend in Ohio with family, Garton said. The weekend ended with some beers at Lorenz's son's new bar in Cleveland.

It was there that he let loose on the surprise that he was giving his truck to Ann's son, 17-year-old Eamon from Davenport.

Before he handed over the keys, he wanted to have the truck serviced at a shop near his house, which led to a debate with his retired nurse wife about whether he should drive.

While this isn't THE 1946 Hudson, but it is similar to this one.

“He wasn’t going to give in. My mom thought she could keep him safe and told him to follow her,” Ann said.

On the drive over, Fred, who battles dementia, took a wrong turn and got lost.

The family reported him missing, and it wasn't until almost 10 hours later that he was spotted when a Kingston, Ohio police officer pulled over his vehicle for driving slow in the middle of a two-lane road.

During those hours, the family was scared that Fred may have crashed or worse, but Ann told Citizen's Voice they felt content if it had happened.

“If we didn’t have such a good outcome, he had a great Easter weekend and what a way to go,” she told the publication.

Ann said that even though her dad has dementia, he's “still very with it” and knew that he was lost.

“He kept thinking he could figure it out and wasn’t able to. It’s very typical of that disease,” she said. “It’s embarrassing to have to go up to people and say, ‘I’m lost.’ You’re recognizing it and admitting it to yourself.”

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It's worth noting that his 10 hour, 350 mile trip is even more impressive considering it doesn't have power steering and has a three-on-the-tree shifter.

Eamon's ready to drive the truck, since Lorenz taught him how to drive it when he got his permit at 14.

We talked with him this morning, which you can hear here:

For the time being, the truck was taken to the Kingston Police Headquarters to store until it can be transported back home.

Ann said her dad and Tom McTague, the officer who pulled him over, talked quite a bit and became friends.

“My understanding is Tom was an absolute delight. He was very empathic and looked out for my father’s safety,” she said. “I can’t say enough good things about them.”

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