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'It's not acceptable' | Police help man home after TARC paratransit leaves him stranded at movie theater

The man, who uses a wheelchair, relied on the service to get around but had to call for help when no one showed up Saturday night.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — TARC-3 provides paratransit services for people with disabilities who rely on TARC for transportation. 

Saturday night, Montez Caldwell said he was stranded at a movie theater after being dropped off but no one returned to pick him up. 

He called 911 to ask officers for help when he was unable to get in touch with TARC-3 or the paratransit contractors. 

“Officers were immediately dispatched to him. They sat out there with him for an hour or two. Nobody was able to make arrangements for him to get a ride, and the officers actually put the young man in the car. They had to lay him in the car [and] put his wheelchair at the movie theater,” Marcellus Mayes with the Metro Disability Coalition said.

Mayes said the coalition made arrangements to retrieve Caldwell's wheelchair from the theater on Sunday.

"Everybody should be ashamed of what they're allowing to happen with TARC-3 because every citizen should be valued, every life should be respected," Mayes said.

Mayes said TARC-3 was late to pick Caldwell up and take him to the movies, so he missed the showing he was planning to see and had to wait for a later time. Mayes said the Caldwell communicated the need for a later pick-up ride to the driver who dropped him off. But that later ride never showed. 

It’s not the first time the group has raised red flags about TARC-3.

Earlier this year, there were protests which included stories about riders being mistreated, ignored or even stranded while waiting for a ride.

How often are missed rides reported?

For the week of Oct. 4 to Oct. 8, TARC reported 272 missed rides which was about 5% of the total rides recorded. During the same month, 953 rides were missed.

More than 2,000 complaints were logged against TARC-3 for the fiscal year which ended in June, according to reports provided to Metro Council. 

RELATED: 'A missed ride is never OK' | TARC3 driver shortage, long wait time issues still persist

WHAS11 News reached out to TARC about the incident. They responded with a statement which reads: 

"We are investigating further, but our log shows that Mr. Caldwell canceled his original pickup time. When customers alter their rides during the day of service, we have to fit them in on the next available route which can sometimes result in long wait times.”

Metro Council President David James said he is concerned about this and looking to Mayor Greg Fischer who is in charge of TARC to find solutions.

RELATED: 'They've broken my trust': TARC3 problems persist, frustrated customers protest and ask for changes

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story listed the man's name as Montel Caldwell. This version has been corrected.

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