News
Toddler spotted running across road in Punggol, man immediately stops car & brings him to safety
The toddler was eventually reunited with his father.
August 18, 2026, 10:43 AM
Screenshots from @hyfasayf/TikTok.
An unaccompanied toddler was spotted running across a road near Punggol Coast Mall on Aug. 15.
No adult in sight
Dashcam footage of the incident, posted on TikTok, shows the toddler running across the road as a car appears to be exiting a carpark.
The driver then stops his car and rushes over to pick the child up.
Speaking to Mothership, the driver said the incident took place at around 6pm.
He said he and his family had been leaving the mall after picking up some takeaway food.
As they exited a small service road from the carpark, his wife suddenly pointed out that a young toddler was walking alone on the main road.
The family was shocked, particularly as there was no adult in sight, he said.
Concerned for the child's safety, the driver immediately stopped his car and went after the toddler.
"My top three concerns at that moment were ensuring the child's safety, protecting my family's safety, and preventing the car behind me from overtaking abruptly," he said.
"I hurried after the toddler, managing to reach him before he stepped onto the main road, and carefully picked him up since there was a blind spot on the right side of the road obscuring our view."
The driver said the toddler, whom he estimated to be under two years old, appeared calm and held onto him tightly.
He added that there were two vehicles behind his car, so he signalled to the driver behind him to stop to ensure that no one was put in danger.
Helped the toddler search for his guardian
The driver then carried the toddler to the nearby bus interchange in an attempt to locate his parents.
After asking around but being unable to find anyone, they continued along the connecting pathway towards the mall, which was about 300m away.
He eventually saw a young man approaching, and the toddler's reaction led the driver to believe that the man was his father.
He approached the man and explained that his child had been found alone and was nearing the main road, which he described as alarming and dangerous.
According to the driver, the father did not appear concerned or remorseful.
Instead, he simply took the toddler from the driver's arms and said that the child had been "running too fast".
The driver said he was disappointed by the man's reaction.
"Instead of expressing gratitude, he merely took his child and walked away without further acknowledgment."
