Missing Man With Dementia Found in Traffic Stop

A missing 82-year-old Largo man with dementia was found when deputies pulled him over for speeding.

Largo police had issued a silver alert for Bill Dever, who went missing about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

He was stopped by the  for speeding at 1:13a.m., said Lt. Mike Loux of .

He was on the Belleair Causeway and Gulf Boulevard, said Sgt. Tom Nestor, spokesperson for the sheriff's office.

Deputies reunited Dever with his family, Loux said.

According to officials, Dever dropped his wife off at their residence and drove away in his white 2011 Lincoln MKZ.

He was last seen in the area of 11th Street and Eighth Avenue Southwest in Largo.

Officials spoke with family members about the dangers of a person with dementia having access to a vehicle.

“It’s not a good idea to have someone who doesn’t have full capacity of their mental state to be operating a vehicle,” Loux said.

“It’s a tough decision for family members to make," he said. "They lose their sense of autonomy. ... They should reconsider having full access to a vehicle."