Va. Man, 96, Recovering From Night in Cold Van

Prostler Samuels was upgraded from critical to good condition. (Katherine Frey - Twp)

Prostler Samuels is a methodical man, not one to appreciate a break in routine. And so, after his rescue from a parked church van where he sat freezing in his wheelchair for 18 hours, the 96-year-old nursing home resident only wanted to know one thing: Where were his hamburgers?

Every Sunday after church, Samuels was driven by another congregant to McDonald's, always the one at Duke Street and Quaker Lane in Alexandria. There, he ordered two hamburgers (with nothing but mayo) and a large Coca-Cola (with plenty of ice and one straw, please). It was a meal he looked forward to each week and, like the 11 a.m. service at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Old Town Alexandria, was something he rarely missed.

Until this past Sunday, that is. After church, Samuels was loaded into the van, but after dropping off some passengers, the driver forgot about Samuels and left him there. He wasn't discovered until the next day, shivering in the pressed suit and coat he had worn to church. He was listed in good condition yesterday, updated from critical, at Inova Alexandria Hospital, where he was being treated for hypothermia.

And as he continued to recover, church officials said, Samuels returned to his usual jovial self and had but one thing on his mind: "He still had not gotten his hamburgers," said James Garrett, a deacon at the 2,400-member church.

Samuels's survival brought great joy at the church, which Samuels has attended for 30 years. Members and officials took turns visiting him at the hospital, Garrett said, concerned about the man who has his own designated space where he can park his wheelchair.

"He's been very talkative and laughing . . . and we're just ecstatic that he continues to improve," said the Rev. Faye Gunn, interim pastor. "We pray everything continues to go as smoothly as possible, and we want to make sure that this never happens again."

Alexandria police are investigating the incident as a neglect case, looking into the actions of Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, where Samuels has lived since at least 1995. Richard Heimendinger, administrator at the 307-bed facility, could not be reached yesterday.

Police also want to know how a church employee could have left someone in a wheelchair inside a van from 2:30 p.m. Sunday to 9 a.m. Monday as temperatures dipped below freezing.

No charges were filed yesterday.

Meanwhile, Garrett said the church's van service -- the driving duties are shared among 20 volunteers -- has been suspended while officials review policies and procedures. The drivers are required to have clean driving records and be younger than 65, Garrett said. The driver who left Samuels locked inside the van remained in seclusion, described as distraught.

The church has also added a 24-hour emergency contact to its phone service so that someone will always be available. On Sunday, after realizing that Samuels had not returned to Woodbine, officials there called the church and left a message about 7:30 p.m., but it was not received until Monday morning. The nursing home also called police, who went to the church but found it locked. Police said a Woodbine employee later said she knew who Samuels was with and thanked police.

Samuels, a retired trash collector who spent 30 years at Fort Belvoir with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has an array of habits associated with his Sunday routine, said his friend Joe Nickens, who also regularly drives him to church.

"He'd much rather be in my Mercedes than the church van, and he always has to . . . be the co-pilot," said Nickens, standing amid the wooden pews inside the sanctuary.

And after the stop at McDonald's, Samuels -- always dressed in a suit that bears a pin commemorating his three decades of service at Fort Belvoir -- insists on holding the meal in his lap. Later, as he's wheeled back into Woodbine, he holds up his burgers like trophies.

"He wants to be the envy of the folks there," Nickens said.