Driver thought crawling baby was garbage in the road


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BRIGHAM CITY — He said it was "scary" and something he "didn't ever want to see again."

One of the drivers who witnessed a baby crawling across a Brigham City street Friday night shed more light on the case Monday.

"It's like a double take — like wow," said Don Olson, who was heading westbound along 200 South near 300 East when he spotted the child.

Olson said he initially believed he simply saw trash in the road, but quickly realized that wasn't the case.

"I got a lot closer and decided, yes, this garbage is moving very slowly - on all fours," he said. "I knew, of course, it was a very young baby, because it was on all fours."

Olson said a truck had already positioned itself diagonally to block the eastbound lanes, and he did the same in the westbound lanes. At the same time, he said a person scooped the child out of the road. He then moved down the street and called police.

"At the time I didn't even think about it, until I drove away for the last time; and I just shuddered to think what might have happened," Olson said. "If I might have been a minute earlier, perhaps that baby might have been in my lane. I don't know if it would have been darker."

Police said the 1-year-old boy had escaped from a back yard. Investigators say the child's 7-year-old sister had taken the baby into the back yard to play with him, and the baby escaped.

Detectives have said that charges are unlikely in the case. They referred the case to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services.

Department of Human Services spokesperson Liz Sollis said she could not comment on any particular case, but said it was common for police to refer these types of incidents to case workers.

Olson acknowledged this was a case that should cause all drivers to pay attention and watch what they're doing behind the wheel.

"It was just odd — one of those that you don't ever want to see again," Olson said. "It turned out by the grace of God that it was alright."

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