Woman keeps elderly scooter rider safe

A Cordova woman’s harrowing encounter with an elderly lady driving a scooter through traffic continued to draw attention Monday.

Towanna Murphy caught the Friday evening incident live on Facebook, and the 11-minute video has been viewed nearly a quarter-million times and shared about 6,000 times.

It all began shortly after 5 p.m. Friday when Murphy saw a woman on a motorized scooter traveling down Elvis Presley Boulevard.

“Mother, you need help?” Murphy shouts at the elderly woman as she pulls up beside her.

“Yes,” the woman seems to say as she continues to travel down the middle of the busy road, cars passing. “Try to get on the end over here, mother. I’m gonna let you over,” Murphy says while trying to direct the woman to the side of the road as she passes through the busy Brooks Road intersection.

Murphy continues to stream video live as she follows the scooter, trying to shield the woman from traffic. Screams can be heard periodically during close encounters with traffic as the unidentified woman’s scooter, which appears to have an oxygen tank strapped to the back, slowly makes its way toward the Interstate 55 entrance ramp.

“She’s getting on the expressway ... where’s she going?” an exasperated Murphy asks as the scooter makes its way toward the I-55/240 ramp.

Throughout the video, Murphy pleads for anyone watching it live to call for help. Finally, as the scooter enters the interstate, a van pulls up beside it and helps Murphy – still trailing the scooter – block it from passing traffic.

A waiting Memphis police officer, lights flashing, finally corrals the scooter on I-55, but not until after she tries to evade him.

Murphy posted in a Saturday update that the scooter driver was taken by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation. Murphy said she didn’t know it at the time, but someone had already called police for help before she started following the scooter.

“I didn’t know she was headed for I-240,” Murphy said. “That’s what scared me.”

People hailed Murphy as a hero as word of the encounter spread and was picked up by the media over the weekend.

“You will be blessed ... you were here guardian angel ...” wrote Jennie Conley.

“Job well done, Towanna Murphy,” added Felicia Henderson.

Towanna Murphy