Two Michigan bus drivers are being hailed as heroes after they teamed up to save a 2-year-old child who had been trapped inside a stolen car off the side of the road last week.
As per reports from the Kentwood Police Department, officers responded to the scene of a stolen car with a 2-year-old inside on October 4 at about 8:10 am in Kentwood, Michigan.
The 2-year-old's parents asked a bus driver for help
The parents of the toddler who was taken in the carjacking flagged down Dave Skinner's school bus in Kentwood, Michigan, while he was working as a driver for Kelloggsville Public Schools in the Grand Rapids neighborhood.
Skinner said:
"They screamed at me that somebody had stolen their car with their baby in it. So immediately I got on the phone with 911."
The child's father allegedly said:
"Call the police! Somebody steal the car. There’s a baby inside!"
Reportedly, Skinner claimed that after dialing 911, he tuned into the school bus frequency to warn other motorists to keep a close eye out for the kidnapped child.
Later, Sue Figueroa, a different bus driver, heard Skinner's call and realized she had just driven past a youngster lying on the side of the road covered in a blanket. Director of transportation for the School District Kristin Nickelson instructed her to turn back right away when she called to notify the other drivers.
In the surveillance video, Figueroa said:
“I just saw … a little baby around the corner standing with a blanket on."
Reports suggest that the carjacker had left the boy wrapped in a blanket on the side of the road, but Figueroa was able to transport him on her school bus. The bus surveillance video contains footage of Figueroa's activities.
Jim Alston, superintendent of Kelloggsville Public Schools, said in a statement:
"All did a great job getting this two-year-old back with his parents. It was probably the longest four to six minutes (of the mom’s) life."
Alston praised Skinner and Figueroa for their swift efforts that day and called them heroes. In response to this statement, Skinner said:
"I don’t know if we’re heroes. Drivers are very attentive to all the kids in the neighborhoods while we’re picking them up. And if they see something odd or strange, they’re real quick to get on the radio and holler back. I’m just glad her kid is home safe."
According to the police, the stolen car was found in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a few hours after it was seized. According to Kentwood Police Department Capt. Ryan VanderVeen, there have been no arrests in connection with the crime.