One of these day he’ll kill someone, and that someone could be the sole breadwinner of a struggling household. Struggling to make ends meet is really no excuse for dangerous driving. Besides, that check engine light isn’t a good indicator of someone’s financial status. They can be oblivious, not willing to take time out to have it checked, know what’s the issue is but chose to ignore it, or simply not care about maintenance of the car.
I’d say report it.
And my angle grinder