VIDEO: School Bus Drivers Rescue Toddler Abandoned During Car Theft

When a car was stolen Tuesday in Kentwood, Michigan, with a child inside, two Kelloggsville Public School bus drivers jumped into action.

The incident happened early Tuesday near 48th Street and Marlette Avenue when the suspect abandoned the toddler on the side of the road and fled, WZZM reported.

As the parents flagged down cars for help, a school employee in a bus stopped to find out what they needed.

Dave Skinner quickly dialed 911 and radioed the school to inform colleagues about the situation. Another bus driver nearby saw the child and seated the little one on her own bus.

“Bus drivers are pretty attentive to everything that’s going on around them. So, they’re in the neighborhood, they see the kids,” Skinner told the outlet:

“They’re the first people they see every day. Most of the drivers know where the stops are, where the kids are at, if somebody’s late at a stop they’re on the radio about anybody having issues. We’re pretty much a close knit community here,” he continued.

Thanks to their efforts, it only took ten minutes to reunite the child with the frantic parents.

A photo showed Skinner standing near one of the big yellow buses:

“It’s a team effort here in the school district. I wouldn’t really consider myself a ‘hero.’ I was at the right place at the right time.”

A @kvrocketsps bus driver helped a family get their 2yo back after 👧 was in the back seat of parents car when it was stolen. // @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/eQIH3s63P4

— Lauren Edwards (@LaurenEdwardsTV) October 5, 2022

“Kelloggsville would like to thank the quick thinking of our staff. Mr. Dave Skinner and Ms. Sue Workman that were driving the buses, and our Director of Transportation, Kristin Nickelson who was coordinating the radio and the buses during the time,” Superintendent Jim Alston told WZZM after the incident.

He added, “Their communication and thoughtful actions helped return a baby back to his parents and was unharmed.”

The vehicle was eventually found in Grand Rapids, however, the suspect remains on the loose.

Citizens with more information regarding what happened were asked to contact the Kentwood Police Department Detective Bureau by dialing 616-656-6604.