February 27, 2008

After Ride Attached to a Semi Truck, Ben Carpenter To Receive New Wheelchair

Thursday, Feb. 28, 2 p.m.

At Carpenter’s home: 6910 N. Sixth St., Kalamazoo, Mich.

KALAMAZOO, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ben Carpenter, the young wheelchair user who went for the ride of his life last summer entangled in the front grill of a semi tractor trailer truck, is getting new wheels of his own tomorrow afternoon.

Invacare and Cole Rehabilitation Technologies, Inc. of Holt, Mich., will present Ben with a brand new Invacare® Storm Series® 3G Torque™ SP rear-wheel-drive power wheelchair, the same model he uses currently and the same chair he was using the day he took his now famous ride.

Ben was crossing the street at an intersection in Paw Paw, Mich., last June just in front of a semi truck when the traffic light turned green and the truck began moving forward, turning Ben’s wheelchair into traffic and entangling the push handles in the grill of the truck. The driver was unaware of Ben’s plight, and the truck reportedly reached speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and traveled as far as 4 miles before Ben was rescued.

Ben was uninjured in the incident, and his wheelchair was undamaged. The tires, however, were not made to withstand such speeds and were destroyed by the high-speed ride. Ben continued using the same wheelchair but with new tires.

On Thursday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m., Invacare and Cole Rehab will give Ben an all new Invacare® Storm Series® 3G Torque™ SP rear-wheel-drive power wheelchair. Designed for active users, the Torque SP independent rear-wheel suspension is made to absorb significant jolts and impacts in everyday use.

Invacare is donating the new wheelchair to Ben and will display Ben’s existing wheelchair in the Company’s Elyria, Ohio, headquarters showroom as a testament to the durability of its design. Cole Rehab is Ben’s independent equipment and service provider.

Invacare, Cole Rehab, and the Carpenter family invite members of the media to be on hand for the presentation at 6910 N. Sixth St., Kalamazoo, Mich.

Invacare (NYSE:IVC), headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of innovative home and long-term care medical products that promote recovery and active lifestyles. The Company has 5,700 associates and markets its products in 80 countries around the world. For more information about the Company and its products, visit Invacare’s website at www.invacare.com.