Phoenix Utility Worker Saves Toddler Seconds Before Traffic

Robert Butler was driving his Arizona Public Service truck through downtown Phoenix on March 19 when something odd caught his attention. A small wagon and umbrella sat abandoned on the sidewalk along Grant Street.

Then he spotted the real danger. A toddler, about 3 years old, was running full speed up the sidewalk toward a busy intersection with no adult in sight.

Butler's heart dropped. He pulled over instantly, jumped from his truck, and sprinted toward the child, reaching him just seconds before he would have stepped into traffic.

The APS troubleshooter still gets emotional thinking about how everything aligned that day. He can't shake the feeling that something bigger was at work.

"I'm not sure if it was God or divine intervention," Butler said. "There was something that day that was off than normal that just put me at the right place at right time."

The rescue was captured on camera, showing just how close the call really was. The toddler had been moving fast, completely unaware of the cars rushing past just feet away.

Sunny's Take

Butler says he thinks about his own son waiting to see him come home each day. That's what drove him forward without hesitation.

"I just think about when I get home and my son's happy to see me," he explained. "Just thinking that little boy can be happy to see his parents or whoever."

The father didn't pause to consider his own safety or whether someone else might act. He simply saw a child in danger and moved.

Now that little boy gets to grow up, maybe never knowing how close he came or remembering the stranger who saved his life on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. One split-second decision made all the difference.