Glendale police sergeant taking 94-year-old veteran on road trip to Florida

GLENDALE, Ariz. (FOX 10) - It's not often that a phone call between strangers leads to a 2,170-mile road trip, but when it does, you better believe it involves two determined veterans.

When one of the sons of 94-year-old Howard Benson heard his dad was planning a cross-country move to Florida by himself, he was desperate to stop his father, so from Georgia, he called the Glendale Police station seeking assistance.

"He's loaded up a trailer and thinks he can drive his vehicle and a trailer to Florida and I'd like to have somebody to talk to him," Howard's son said. "He walks with a walker and he's diabetic. He's got three sons -- I'm in Georgia, one's in Minnesota, ones in Florida, and none of us can talk any sense into him."

After patrol officers were unsuccessful, another veteran stepped in -- Sgt. Jeff Turney.

"Patrol officer came over and they determined that we weren't going to stop Howard from driving across the country and they called me, so I came over to talk to him and I realized I wasn't going to stop Howard from driving across the country either, so I offered to drive him across the country," he said.

Two veterans, one mission and an open road.

"I think we're going to have a heck of a good time telling war stories," Howard said.

Howard says he's incredibly grateful to have a new friend and ride to his new life in Florida.

"I'm really pleased that he's dedicated his time for it and I'm sure we're going to have a good trip!" he said.