Chapel Hill, N.C. — Authorities on Thursday night canceled a Silver Alert for a missing Chapel Hill man.

James Thomas Horton, 78, of 1937 Mt. Carmel/Chapel Hill Road, was last seen driving to his doctor's office on Connor Drive around 10 a.m. Thursday. A Silver Alert was issued Thursday afternoon.

Horton was located 6 miles outside of Hillsville, Va., his son said.  Horton's vehicle had run out of gas, and a person stopping to help him called the state Highway Patrol.

Developed in 2007, the Silver Alert system quickly notifies the public about missing endangered adults who suffer from dementia or other cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's disease.

It also allows caregivers and nursing homes to report a person missing. In the past, only a family member could report an adult missing.