Brunswick woman rescues autistic child from roadway
VENN
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A Brunswick County woman rescued a young autistic girl who had run from her home and into the nearby road in late May.
On Tuesday, July 29, the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office gave Janie Smith an Award of Recognition -- as well as a gift card donated by sheriff's office employees -- to thank her for her heroic actions about two months prior.
The incident took place on Wednesday, May 28 along Windsor Avenue, according to authorities. On that day, Smith noticed a young child "frantically running" in the middle of the road.
"Janie Smith immediately identified that the child was in danger and, without hesitation, began running after the child in [an] attempt to protect her from harm," the sheriff's office said.
Janie Smith and Brunswick County Sheriff's Office leadership. (Photo: Brunswick County Sheriff's Office)
The child did not respond to any efforts made to get her attention, nor did she stop running in the road. Authorities later learned that she was nonverbal and autistic.
Smith ran after the child for some time and was finally able to move her to safety just as a Brunswick sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene.
"It was determined that the child had quickly eloped from her residence and immediately fled into the roadway and within a matter of a few seconds had created a large distance between her and her parents," the sheriff's office said.
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Per authorities, the child's mother was very thankful to both Smith and the sheriff's office for helping her child. Additionally, she expressed her hope that -- as a silver lining -- this incident would bring awareness to autistic children in Brunswick and how they can "often find themselves in dangerous situations very quickly."
"This quick action by one of our wonderful Brunswick County citizens that put her own safety at risk to help a child in need deserved commendation and recognition," the sheriff's office said. "Positive stories like this are often overshadowed by the negative events in our world and we wanted to highlight a truly amazing person!"
