Six months ago, motor dealer John Cannon had a strange visitor to his dealership in Armidale: an elderly lady who seemed to be in distress.
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She told him that she was unable to drive her car back home to Glen Innes so could she leave it with him until she could pick it up.
He, being a kindly gentleman, agreed.
He told The Examiner: “A little old lady in her late 80s was in trouble with her health. I think she was down here from Glen Innes. She was told she could not drive home. Nobody wanted to help her as to where she could store her car.
“Some nice nurse said ‘The only person likely to help you is a bloke by the name of John Cannon’.”
And so she went to his dealership, and he was pleased to help. She left the Certificate of Registration which gives her name as Jeanette Theda Braithwaite.
But six months later, there’s no sign of the lady. The Suzuki’s plate number is plain to see – YSW699.
John told The Examiner that he had been to the authorities but they refused to disclose an address or any more information because of regulations about privacy.
Now, he’s asked us to help trace the lady.
He told The Examiner: “The nurse guided her down to me and I said I would only be too pleased to store her car. I haven’t heard a word from her since. I was too stupid to take her details. You might be able to help with a name and address.”
It may be that she’s forgotten where she left the vehicle, or that something has happened to her. Perhaps, her friends and family can shed light on the mystery.
The car remains in good condition. John charges up the battery every so often and makes sure it’s road-worthy.
John himself is elderly and he’s very apologetic for the trouble he wrongly thinks he’s causing with his conscientious concern for the lady.
He thinks he failed to take her details because he hadn’t taken some tablets for an ailment that day.
We would like anyone who knows who the owner might be to get in touch with us by emailing steve.evans@fairfaxmedia.com.au .
We think we’ll get the crucial piece of information linking the car to the person.
If we don’t, other avenues remain open like going around all the car dealerships and repair shops to see if anyone recognises the vehicle.
But the easiest way to solve the mystery is for the lady herself or her friends and family to get in touch.
And once they have, and the car and owner have been reunited, they should give a big Thank You to John Cannon of Armidale.
