Police: Bus driver rescues toddler from middle of busy central Kentucky road

Nicholasville Police are saying that a bus driver was in the right place at the right time, and could’ve possibly saved a child’s life.

Police say a toddler wandered out of a local house Thursday morning and wound up in the middle of a busy road way. That’s when Bruce Vanover, a Jessamine County bus driver, stopped traffic and scooped the toddler up.

"There was a pickup truck coming towards me. The baby never stopped. It ran down the sidewalk, out in the street. The pickup truck slammed on its breaks right up to the little fella's stomach he stopped,” said Vanover.

Vanover and his bus monitor then watched the toddler until police arrived to the scene.

“We're lucky it was a bus driver who's used to paying attention for small children, not playing on his cell phone, somebody that's really cautious about their driving. We're lucky it was a bus driver,” said Assistant Chief Chris Cain of the Nicholasville Police Department.

Police say they then tried to determine where the child had wandered from, and ultimately found the residence.

"We were able to locate the house, knocked on the door for a little while before we could wake anyone,” said Cain.

The child’s mother Courtney Draper was intoxicated when officers arrived and charged her with wanton endangerment, according to police.

"As a father, I understand children get out. You can turn your back and they're gone. It's really scary. As a cop with a child, we're always hyper aware. This is a scary thing. This is my worst nightmare,” Cain said.

Police say the case has since been handed over to social services.