CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A toddler found wandering in traffic on Route 10 in Chester Friday morning is safe thanks to a bystander who intervened to prevent a potential tragedy.
LaToya Parham saved the 3-year-old boy, who police said had only been outside a few minutes and had wandered off from the nearby Fortress of God Childcare center.
Parham described her reaction as a maternal instinct kicking in as she approached the intersection of West Hundred and Harrowgate Roads around 10 a.m.
WATCH: Police: Boy from Chester childcare center found wandering on busy road was not wearing a coat
Parham recounted how fate and her faith played a crucial role in her timely arrival at the scene.
“I think God put me in that place," Parham said. "I would not have been there had it not been for the snow and the two-hour delay. My kids probably would have been off at school. I was actually running a little behind, so I had to drop my son off. I just thank God I was there.”
Officers said the boy, who was not wearing a coat, was not injured.
The child was found along the 4300 block of West Hundred Road in the area between the child care center and pizza shop on the other side of the road, according to police.
The daycare has several doors all around the building. According to state licensing records, the center can watch up to 42 children — from newborns to 7-year-olds.
CBS 6 tried to call multiple numbers listed outside the daycare to try to speak to someone, but we have not yet heard back. We also tried to talk to the administrator at the daycare, but she asked us to get off the property.
Police said their investigation into the incident is ongoing and that officers have reached out to the Fire Marshal’s Office and the Office of Child Care Health and Safety.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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