Florida man rushes into traffic to rescue toddlers who wandered onto busy road
Florida: A dangerous situation was averted in the US state of Florida after a man ran into a busy roadway to rescue two toddlers who had strayed into fast-moving traffic, officials and local media reported.
The incident took place over the weekend in Brevard County, where John Brittingham noticed two young girls standing unattended on a highway while he was driving. Realising the immediate risk to their lives, Brittingham stopped his vehicle and rushed onto the road, signalling to oncoming drivers to slow down as he approached the children.
Video footage of the rescue, which has since circulated widely on social media, shows Brittingham running through traffic and reaching the toddlers while one of them stood in the middle of the road. Within seconds, he picked up both children and carried them to safety.
Brittingham later told local television station WESH-TV that the moment left him shaken, as he feared the consequences had he not acted in time. He said the children appeared to be around two years old or younger.
After ensuring the toddlers were safe, Brittingham went door to door in the nearby area to determine where they had come from. His search led him to a nearby Airbnb property, where he found an elderly couple and a young woman who were unaware that the children had wandered outside.
According to Brittingham, those inside the house were shocked when informed and no injuries were reported.
NEW: Man jumps out of his car and saves two toddlers from getting hit after they walked into the middle of a busy road in Brevard County, Florida.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 15, 2026
The toddlers had snuck out of a backyard, and the parents didn't even realize they were gone.
John Brittingham, a father of 5 and a… pic.twitter.com/BOjf6l1EBO
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
