Those who live near 50th Terrace in Westwood already know it’s a quiet street filled with neighbors who look out for one another. However, one is adding to the definition of neighborly after possibly saving his neighbor’s life on Wednesday.
John Connelly tries to lend a helping hand to his neighbors as often as possible. Most notably, he’ll shovel snow and melt ice for the elderly woman next door. He even brings her paper directly to her doorstep so she doesn’t have to walk to the sidewalk.
However, he noticed Wednesday morning that the papers he was leaving on her doorstep were beginning to pile up.
"[I] Noticed an accumulation of papers that just kind of struck me as being odd,” said Connelly.
Connelly knocked on her door to no avail. It was then he decided to call for help.
"I just called the police. They're the real heroes in the matter because they responded quickly,” he said.
First responders arrived within minutes and soon forced their way into the home. They discovered the homeowner dehydrated and disoriented. It was clear she was in dire need of help.
"She had fallen. She wasn't able to get up. She'd probably been down there, best we could tell, for three days,” said Westwood police Sergeant Gary Baker.
The neighbor, whom they wish to keep anonymous, is currently in the hospital in stable condition. Police said she’s alive because of Connelly’s quick thinking and that it’s a great reminder that neighbors should look after one another and not be afraid to get involved.
"To me it saved a life,” said Baker.
"Who knows what may have happened if it had been even another day or so,” said Connelly.
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Josh Helmuth can be reached at josh.helmuth@kshb.com
