Bystander saves toddler wandering into busy road, VA school says. ‘Could be my kid’
A Virginia man became a hero on his drive to work after he said he stopped to rescue a toddler who wandered away from his class and into traffic.
Tre Waddy, 30, told McClatchy News he went into fight or flight mode when he saw the kid — about the same age as his own son — get dangerously close to moving cars on a road near Richmond Montessori School on Friday, Nov. 22.
At first when he saw the kid walking on his own, he assumed someone would come running after him, but that didn’t happen, Waddy said.
“That’s when it kind of set in, like: ‘okay, this is an odd situation,’” he said.
All of a sudden, the young boy ran into the street, between moving vehicles, Waddy said. That’s when he put his hazard lights on, stopped his car and scooped the boy out of the street.
“It all kind of happened so fast. It was definitely scary to see,” Waddy said. “ ... I’m just thinking this could have been — in a different world or in a different scenario — this could be my kid.”
After making sure he was away from the road, the boy started walking back up a hill toward his class. Waddy said he followed the boy and spoke with one of the teachers to make sure he was safe before heading back on his way.
“I just did something that I would’ve hoped anyone would have done,” he said.
Teachers removed from school
Richmond Montessori School said it was “deeply troubled” by the incident.
After an independent investigation, the two teachers in charge of the toddler were removed and are no longer employed, school officials said in a Nov. 26 statement shared with McClatchy News.
“We recognize that every day, our parents entrust us with their children, and we take that responsibility and partnership seriously,” school officials said.
The school also said staff are conducting a campus safety audit and taking additional safety measures, including safety training for staff and more fencing around the school’s campus.
Boy and rescuer reunited
Waddy said he was able to reunite with the boy and meet his family Nov. 26 over lunch.
He said he felt emotional after learning that the boy is the only child and seeing how grateful they were that he was there to help.
“They’re great people — beautiful family, and I’m just happy that they remain a family,” Waddy said.
This story was originally published November 27, 2024 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Bystander saves toddler wandering into busy road, VA school says. ‘Could be my kid’."
