Small Child Running on Highway Saved by Officer in Split-Second Response [WATCH]

Dashcam footage from North Port, Florida, captured the moment a police sergeant saved a small child who was running down a dark highway late Tuesday night, narrowly avoiding being struck by passing vehicles, as reported by The New York Post.

According to the North Port Police Department, Sergeant Shield was driving along Highway 41 when he spotted the young boy — wearing only a T-shirt and shorts — running in the middle of two traffic lanes near a Lowe’s store.

As the officer slowed down and turned his vehicle around, his dash camera recorded a white SUV traveling in the same direction, coming dangerously close to hitting the child. Shield immediately activated his emergency lights and siren to warn other drivers and called the incident in over the radio.

“I got a small child running down the road in front of Lowe’s, just almost got hit by a car,” Shield reported over his radio during the incident.

The officer quickly exited his patrol car and ran after the boy, who appeared unaware of the danger and continued down the highway. Police said the child, whose name has not been released, has developmental challenges and had wandered away from home.

The department confirmed that the boy was safely returned to his family shortly after the rescue. “The child, who has developmental delays, wandered from their home, despite having safety devices in place to prevent something like this from happening,” a North Port Police Department spokesperson said in a statement shared on Instagram.

Authorities emphasized that the parents were not at fault, noting that incidents involving children with developmental conditions can occur even with proper safety precautions in place.

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“Thanks to Sergeant Shield’s quick thinking, the child was able to be safely reunited with his family,” the department said.

WATCH: A Florida police officer saves a toddler who was running down a dark highway at night from nearly being hit by a car.

Fox & Friends: “The officer was flashing his lights and blaring his horn to alert the driver heading right towards that little boy.”

“This happened in… pic.twitter.com/SzgDec5FBT

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) October 10, 2025

The North Port Police Department also released portions of the dashcam video to raise awareness about the importance of nighttime driver vigilance and the challenges faced by families of children with special needs.

No injuries were reported, and police said the incident ended within minutes of the initial call. The department commended Sergeant Shield for his immediate response and attention to detail that prevented what could have been a tragedy.

Local authorities said they are continuing to work with the child’s family to ensure additional safety measures are in place at home.

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