Napier local Ray Jane went to buy groceries with the only transport he had, a ride-on lawnmower.
When Constable Sophia Holloway spotted the unusual transport choice, she decided to park up and have a chat with the 87-year-old driver.
“He told me his car was stolen two days before hand," Holloway told 1 NEWS. "I felt really bad for him, but I couldn’t let him drive into town on the ride-on lawnmower."
Holloway managed to cut a deal with Ray that if they took the lawnmower back home, she’d take him grocery shopping.
“I decided to help him because I thought about my own grandparents and what would happen if they were in the same position,” she said.
However, the road back to Ray’s house took a while.
“It was a very slow drive back to his house, maxing like 10km/hr all the way home and we got a few laughs from public,” she said.
After the supermarket shopping was finished, Holloway took Jane to file a police report on his stolen car.
“Since then I’ve visited him twice and the community officer for his area has also taken him to the supermarket and checked in on him several times,” she said.
The constable is glad Jane hasn’t attempted to drive the ride-on lawnmower to the supermarket again.
“He’s a really lovely gentleman, and I think he was very thankful,” she said.
SHARE ME