Toddler narrowly misses car after running into traffic

Heart-stopping footage has emerged of a three-year-old narrowly missing oncoming traffic on a busy road.

Disturbing footage has emerged of a three-year-old girl coming dangerously close to oncoming traffic and she darts across two lanes of a busy road in Queensland.

The nappy-wearing toddler was captured on dashcam footage where she can be seen coming within centimetres of being struck by a Toyota Hilux in Bellbird Park, Ipswich.

A witness, who was just moments away from a collision with the child, told 7NEWS that he was forced to make a split-second decision between braking or swerving into the other lane.

A toddler can be seen dashing across a busy motorway. Picture: 7NEWS

She comes within centimetres of being struck by a car. Picture: 7NEWS

The father, who had his child in the back seat, came to a halt on the 70km/h road before a Hilux driver – unaware of what lay ahead – quickly overtook him.

There, the heart-stopping footage shows the unaware ute speed past the little girl who quickly becomes frazzled before continuing to race across the road.

Two female drivers can then be seen rushing out of their cars to collect the child who they said, “no one was chasing after.”

“We looked around and we couldn’t see any parents,” said the driver.

Unsure of what to do, the Good Samaritans drove the child to Goodna Police Station where it was revealed she had been reported missing by her parents.

Police were able to swiftly reunite the toddler with her family who say she escaped through a small gap in their garage door.

Speaking to 7NEWS, the parents said their little girl has autism and were busy with two other children when they realised she wasn’t in the house and started searching for her.

The footage, which has been viewed over 120,000 times in under 24 hours has left Aussie parents divided.

Good Samaritans can be seen rushing to her aid. Picture: 7NEWS

“My son is on the spectrum and was also a runner. I feel for the parents,” said one empathetic viewer.

“That is absolutely terrifying. She is so so so lucky,” said another.

“Parents need to keep their eyes on their children,” warned one.

“That is every parent’s worst nightmare. So glad that kid is okay,” said another.

Earlier this month, a five-year-old boy was left fighting for life after being hit by a car in Ipswich.

Multiple paramedics, including the High Acuity Response Unit attended the incident and attended to the boy who received serious abdominal, pelvic, chest and head injuries, as well as fractured ribs.

He is now in a stable condition as the driver assists police with their investigations.

According to a 2023 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare study, the leading cause of death for children between 1-14 is land transport accidents.

KidSafe Australia warns that “Children are vulnerable road users. Anywhere where there is a potential for moving vehicles is a potentially dangerous traffic situation for children.”