In a heart-stopping act of bravery, a quick-thinking father risked his own life to snatch two toddler girls from the path of oncoming traffic on one of Florida's most dangerous highways.
A Split-Second Decision on a Deadly Road
John Brittingham was driving south on the A1A highway in Cocoa Beach last Sunday when he spotted the unimaginable: two very young children, alone in the middle of the busy road. The A1A is notoriously hazardous, having topped the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organisation's annual crash rate lists for pedestrians and cyclists between 2012 and 2016.
Brittingham, who has children and grandchildren of his own, told local news outlet WESH 2 that he was "terrified" but did not hesitate. He immediately pulled over. Dashcam footage from his company, Drone Geox LLC, shows him waving frantically to alert approaching cars as he ran towards the girls.
"It would have 'ruined the rest' of my life if something had happened to them," Brittingham said, explaining his instinct to act.
The Harrowing Rescue Captured on Camera
The video evidence reveals the extreme peril the children were in. By the time Brittingham reached them, one toddler was in the dead centre of the carriageway, with the other close behind. A southbound car screeched to a halt just in time.
In a poignant moment caught on film, one of the little girls instinctively reached her arms up to the stranger coming to her aid. Brittingham scooped up both children and carried them to the safety of the roadside.
"My adrenaline spiked," he recounted. "I had a migraine when I finally got home. I was drained completely for the rest of the day."
The Search for Answers and a Safe Reunion
With the toddlers safe, a new challenge began: finding their guardians. Brittingham searched the area in vain, eventually locating a nearby Airbnb property. His calls for the parents went unanswered.
The girls, estimated to be less than two years old, were too young to offer any help. "They weren't telling me anything," Brittingham said. "They could only point at things and go 'ahhh'." He suspects they escaped through an unlocked back gate.
He finally found an elderly couple and a young girl who were unaware the children were missing. They were apologetic for the toddlers getting loose. Despite the terrifying ordeal, Brittingham's focus remained on the family, telling them, "I'm just glad I could get them back to you." He was so intent on the reunion he did not initially report the incident to police.
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) has since launched an investigation into how the children ended up in such grave danger. Investigators were seen on Sunny Lane, the road adjoining the highway, on Tuesday.
Karen, Brittingham's wife, shared the dramatic footage online to highlight the ever-present risks on the road. Her message was stark: "Please always watch out. You never know. And slow the F down!"
