Four-year-old walks into oncoming traffic on Salisbury Highway before good Samaritan swoops in

Shocking footage has shown the harrowing moment a toddler stepped in front of oncoming traffic on a busy highway. See what happens next. Picture 9News.

A heroic driver has made a split second decision to pull into oncoming traffic to protect a toddler that had walked onto a major Adelaide highway.

In dashcam footage obtained by 9News, the four-year-old boy can be seen – still wearing a nappy – walking out onto the Salisbury Hwy as cars approached.

Lawrence Owen was travelling on the opposite side of the road when he mounted the median strip and placed his vehicle between the cars and the child.

EXCLUSIVE: Dashcam vision has captured the terrifying moment a toddler wanders onto a busy Adelaide road.

WATCH LIVE at 6pm to see the horror incident, only on #9Newspic.twitter.com/0AN4jGn7gr

— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) July 18, 2023

Terrifying dashcam vision has revealed the moment a toddler stepped out into the traffic on busy Salisbury Highway. Picture: NINE NEWS

The toddler ran back into his home as Lawrence Owen pulled up beside him. Picture: NINE NEWS

“I’d rather take the damage of the car running into me … rather than the child be killed, because what protection did the child have,” he told 9News.

Lawrence Owen made a split-second decision to put his car between the boy and oncoming traffic. Picture: NINE NEWS

Terrifying dashcam vision shows the moment a toddler stepped out into the traffic on busy Salisbury Highway. Picture: NINE NEWS

As Mr Owen pulled across the road, the child ran into a nearby property.

“We didn’t know whether the kid lived there or not and we went in to see the people inside and sure enough it was their child,” he said.

Mr Owen said he received praised from other drivers who passed the scene.

“Gestures from people in the cars were like thumbs up and all that sort of stuff,” he said.

“I’m pretty proud, I’ve saved a kid’s life, he’s got a future now.”

The four-year-old’s mother Sxirijana Gurung said he suffered from autism.

“This gate was open and he’s gone to the middle of the road,” she said.

“I’m really thankful he saved my child.”