My brother nearly ran a toddler over today

[Ponka]

He was driving along a major road and a toddler (around 2 years, he thinks) in just a nappy, no clothes or shoes, just walked out into the middle of the road in front of him. He managed to stop just in time then the little fellow just turned to look at something, bumped into his car and then carried merrily on his way on the other pavement. Lucky he saw him. It could have been so much worse.

The incident caused 2 other cars to crash into each other on the other side of the road and then someone came out of a nearby flat screaming, picked up the little one (who had gone a good couple of hundred metres down the road by then) and ran inside under a torrent of abuse from passers by.

I feel so bad for all concerned. I wonder how he managed to get out there? My poor brother is so shaken.

I've been meaning to change the fact that I leave my keys in the door still (DS1 is 2.2 yrs) but I haven't got around to it. Tomorrow is the day I start.

My dts(2.5) managed to get out of the garden a while back, by the time I realised they had gone around the corner and crossed a main road, and had caused a pile up, I was feeling pretty damn crap about it (as you can imagine)yet luckily no-one hurled abuse at me, these things sometimes happen, the poor woman must feel terrible.

How scarey and awful.

Thank heavens your brother managed to stop. Terrifying.

bloody hell,how his life could've changed in a split second.Sends shivers down my spine...he must be a wreck!

little girl aged 6 who lives opp my mum was killed in a hit and run first week of school hols in blackburn

my brother was a mini-houdini. he used to undo the catches on the living room windows and escape. usually he didnt get out the front garden, but one day there was a knock on the door, and a man stood there holding my baby brother, and asked my mum 'is he yours?' he had been found in the next street. we also lived o na very busy road.

your poor poor brother.

i have to say though, quite a few times in my childhood we saw toddlers attempting to cross the road on their own, my dad once ran into the road and scooped up a curly haired girl who was standing in the middle of the main road.

Waterfalls, I just can't imagine that feeling of panic when you realise you don't know where a little one is. It must be awful. Hopefully it won't ever happen to me but I'm sure that it happens to everyone at sometime.

MIsdee . Little ones are always cleverer than you think.

Dmo . It happens far too often. My brother is a careful driver and has taken his advanced driver's test. He was paying full attention and saw the toddler in time. I shudder to think what would have happened if it were someone who was on their mobile or checking their sat nav.

Keys are safely up on a high shelf in our house today. It's about time. I thought I'd write about this on Mumsnet not so much because I want to share the details but more because it might just make people think about how easy it can be.