Rideshare driver saves toddler spotted running, alone into traffic
SAN ANTONIO (KENS) – A routine ride in San Antonio, Texas, turned into a life-or-death moment for a rideshare driver when she spotted a toddler alone in traffic.
As an independent contractor with zTrip, Michelle Gallegos spends 10 to 12 hours a day on the road, picking up passengers and meeting new people along the way.
“It’s kind of like a therapy session sometimes. People just want to talk,” she said.
On March 10 at 10:08 a.m., a routine ride turned in an instant.
Driving just south of I-35, Gallegos saw movement in the road.
As she inched closer, she realized it was a little boy.
“I had to open and close my eyes, like, is this real?” Gallegos said.
Gallegos’ dashcam recorded the interaction, showing the child pausing when Gallegos honked the SUV’s horn.
But then the boy kept going, hopping along next to her vehicle.
“He was not scared whatsoever. He was skipping, he was playing,” Gallegos said.
That’s when Gallegos jumped into action, pulling over and grabbing the child.
“Where do you live, baby? Here, sit right here,” she is heard saying on the dashcam video.
She placed him in the front seat, holding onto him.
“I was, like, let me see if I can get some sense of direction of where he came from so I can see if somebody’s out there looking for him,” Gallegos said.
She then pulled into the Seven Pines apartment homes on the right and called 911.
“His hair was dirty, his face was dirty, he was barefoot, Pamper was soaked,” she said. “It was soaked to the point where it was uncomfortable with him, and he tried to take it off.”
Less than 10 minutes later, police arrived, and the child’s guardians emerged from the apartments.
“As soon as they arrived, I see the parents walking up very calmly,” Gallegos said.
Gallegos said this moment came down to instinct and training.
Her company called it an extraordinary act of awareness and responsibility.
“I would hope that everyone in that situation would do the same thing,” Gallegos said.
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