Anthony Yates
A Florida officer recently spotted a small child wandering across the highway at night. The youngster appeared to be barefoot, and dash cam footage from the police car shows them involved in a near miss with another vehicle.
Videos by Rare
What happened: The North Port Police Department (NPPD) released scary footage of the incident as a Facebook Reel. Authorities reveal that Sergeant Shields spotted the child while on patrol on US41.
- The police car dash cam spots a small child running up the side of the road as the Sergeant drives past. After noticing the young child, Shields performs a U-turn and slows down in the middle of the road.
- The child starts running into the lane, and another car drives toward them at speed, seemingly unaware that there is a child in the road. Shields blasts his horn and sirens, and while it’s unclear if the driver took any evasive maneuvers, the child was alright as the vehicle sped past. “Got a small child in the road in front of lows. Almost got hit by a car,” he said on the radio.
The Florida Sergeant Caught Up With The Child On The Sidewalk
A tragedy avoided: The child continued to run down the road and onto the sidewalk. They look at the police car for a few moments before turning and running away down the path.
- Dash cam footage shows the Sergeant quickly catching up with the child as they run away from the car up the sidewalk.
- The video explains that the child has developmental delays and wandered away from their home that evening. Officials say that the parents are not at fault in this situation. They reportedly have safeguards in place at the house, but the child was still able to escape. “Please provide grace to this family. This was a very terrifying time for them,” a spokesperson for the police department said.
- NPPD explains that they have services for people protecting vulnerable persons. “We are incredibly thankful that the child is safe, and we want to remind our community that we offer programs to protect our most vulnerable residents,” the spokesperson said. The police department also notes that it can provide wearable tracking devices for individuals who are likely to wander, such as those with Alzheimer’s.
