Astonishing dashcam of driver’s risky move to save boy on highway
A little boy wandered into oncoming traffic on a busy highway when he caught the eye of the driver on the other side of the road.
Shocking footage has revealed the moment a heroic driver swerved his vehicle into oncoming traffic on an Adelaide highway to shield a little boy who wandered onto the road.
At about 3.45pm on Monday, Laurie Owens spotted four-year-old Aaryan, who was standing in the line of oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the busy Salisbury Highway.
The driver quickly swerved onto the wrong side of the road, mounted the median strip and pulled his car in front of the boy, blocking both lanes of traffic.
EXCLUSIVE: Terrifying dashcam vision has revealed the moment a toddler steps out into the traffic on busy Salisbury Highway.
— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) July 18, 2023
But what happens next is the split second heroism of a driver putting himself in harm's way to shield the wandering child. @KellyCHughes_#9Newspic.twitter.com/SizIPpSEwu
Aaryan, who has autism and was dressed in a shirt and nappy, then turned and ran into a nearby property.
“I just happened to notice this little toddler … just on the median strip,” Mr Owens told 9 News.
“I’d rather the damage of the car running into me, because I’m safe, rather than the child be killed because what protection did the child have?”
Mr Owens then left the vehicle and followed the boy into the property, hoping to locate his parents.
“We didn’t know whether the kid lived there or not and went in to see if there were people inside and, sure enough, it was their child,” he said.
“The gates were left wide open and he was out on the road.”
The boy’s mother, Sxirijana Gurung, told 9 News that her child had managed to escape through the open gate without her knowing.
“This gate here was open,” she said, gesturing to the tall metal fence between the front of the house and the highway.
“He ran onto the middle of the road.
“I’m really thankful (to Mr Owens) for saving my child.”
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Other passing drivers also thanked Mr Owens at the time, waving and giving him a thumbs up.
He appeared quite chuffed.
“That kid has a future now,” he said.
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