A barefoot child wandering in the road caused a traffic backup on St. Rt. 139 just after 11 am.
A caller said the child asked several people for a ride and attempted to get into his truck. He said several cars were following the child down the road, and there weren’t any adults around. However, after this story was initially published, the caller contacted SCDN to give an account of this situation in his own words. He told us “I was the caller. He didn’t ask several people for a ride. I stopped and asked if he was ok and he climbed in my window and then back out. I found out later that he has autism”
When a deputy arrived on the scene, they discovered the child was not able to communicate where he was trying to go.
Deputies contacted Children Services and agreed to meet a caseworker at the Family Dollar in Clarktown.
Around 11:50 am, the child’s mother called in, and CPS transported the boy home. Apparently, the autistic child had unlocked the door and left without his parents realizing.