A man who had lost his license for life was caught driving in downtown Nashville, but it was because he had to pick up medicine for his son, he told police.

Joe D. Matthew, 57, of State Road 135 North, was passing through town on his way home from CVS when his minivan broke down. Nashville Police Officer Richard King helped him push it out of traffic.

In the process of calling for a wrecker, King learned that Matthew didn’t have a valid driver’s license because he was a habitual traffic violator. He told King he was driving because he had to get medicine for his son, and he gave the medicine to another officer to deliver to his house.

He was charged May 25 with operating a motor vehicle after forfeiture of license for life, a Level 5 felony.