When a father of four saw a small child walking alone on a busy road in Ohio, he knew what he had to do. Phil Hawkins, a driver with Pete and Pete Container Service, saw the 4-year-old on Bagley Road in Berea, noticing the young boy walking in just a diaper. It was 6 a.m., and no one else stopped, but Hawkins knew he couldn’t leave the child alone.
According to Fox 8, shortly after spotting him, he scooped up the boy and called 911 for help. Thankfully, the child’s father arrived a short time later. If it wasn’t for the kindness of a fellow dad, the story could have had a much more tragic end.
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Hawkins saw the little boy struggling.
He said he noticed the child needed an adult. “I was driving on Bagley Road when all of a sudden I saw this young child on the road,” Hawkins told Fox 8.
“He only had a diaper on and was carrying a blanket. He walked up to a car and tried to open a door. No one else got out to help. I knew I had to help him.”
Hawkins pulled over to grab the little guy.
Of course, it was a cold Ohio morning, and the toddler looked miserable. “I don’t know how long he had been out there, but he was really cold and shaking,” Hawkins explained. “So I grabbed him in my arms, ran back, and put him in the truck. I put the heat on for him, grabbed a blanket for the little guy, and called 911. I just couldn’t believe no one else got out to help him.”
The child apparently lived a short distance from where he was found.
Berea Police Lieutenant Tom Walker told Fox 8 the toddler had a blanket and a bottle with him and lived on Bagley, not far from where Hawkins found him. His father showed up at the scene a short time later, visibly relieved.
“I could tell his father was very worried,” Hawkins said. “He hugged and thanked me.”
The father claimed the child escaped the house by unlocking a door. Police contacted Children and Family Services to investigate, according to Fox 8.
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Hawkins’ employers called him a hero.
Hawkins’ bosses, Lisa and Pete Ristagno, told Fox 8 that his quick thinking likely saved the little boy’s life. But Hawkins said he just did what any dad would.
“I just wanted to make sure he was OK and didn’t get hurt,” Hawkins explained. “I am hoping the family may contact me. I would like to get him a Christmas gift.”
Pete and Pete Container Service Inc. featured Phil on Facebook in June.
As part of the company’s “Who We Are” on Wednesdays, the company shared a bit about Phil and his four kids. When asked why he likes working for the company, he said, “I enjoy my job and what I do as a driver, and this is a great company to work for!”
