Father saves toddler who wandered into traffic from school; 2 teachers removed

HENRICO, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) – Heartbreaking video shows the moment a good Samaritan saved a toddler from traffic after the little boy ran away from school. Two teachers are no longer working after the incident.

Tre Waddy’s dashcam video captured the moments Friday morning when a toddler walked down a hill right in front of his car toward heavy traffic. The 30-year-old father took action to protect the boy, WWBT reports.

“He shoots between us, and then all you hear is the danger, put it in park, take off my seat belt and open the door,” Waddy said. “Then he passed by and saw the white car passing by, very close. When I opened the door, I got out and grabbed him.”

Richmond Montessori School says the toddler walked away from his classroom and into traffic.

After rescuing the boy, Waddy says he ran up the hill to make sure the toddler returned safely to his group, but it appeared the teachers didn’t even know he was missing.

“I saw the class. Then I contacted one of the teachers,” Waddy said. “I just threw a thumbs up, are you okay? Something just happened here.’

The school said in a statement Tuesday that it has conducted an investigation and that “the two teachers responsible for the child’s safety are no longer employed” at the school.

The incident hit close to home for Waddy. His son is similar in age to the boy he saved.

“When I picked him up off the road, I won’t say it was like holding my son, but he’s about the same size,” he said of that life-saving moment. ‘They might be about the same height. He felt the same in my arms. So I’m like, ‘Man.’

He had lunch with the boy’s family on Tuesday and became emotional talking about it.

“It was fun. It was a nice reunion,” Waddy said, wiping away tears. “It’s clear the mother is very upset. I’m glad I got to meet them. They’re really nice people, and I’m glad this won’t be a bad Thanksgiving for them, because it could have. Without bringing their issues to the forefront, he is a miracle baby.”

Richmond Montessori School said in a statement that the school is “eternally grateful” to Waddy, continuing: “We recognize that our parents trust us with their children every day, and we take that responsibility and partnership seriously. We want to maintain that trust by learning from this incident.”

The school says the following additional safety measures are being implemented:

• All outdoor activities outside a fenced area, including nature walks, are suspended pending the completion of our safety audit.
• Add more fencing or barriers to campus to prevent students from straying towards Parham Road.
• All staff receive additional safety training.

Waddy encourages all motorists to remain alert on the roads.

Henrico detectives say they are working with Child Protective Services to determine if criminal charges will be filed.

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