Utility Worker Saves Toddler Just Seconds Before He Runs Into Traffic

April 20, 2026

A toddler running down a busy street in downtown Phoenix was rescued by a utility worker, and the heart-stopping moment was caught on camera.

Robert Butler / Credit: FOX 10

On the afternoon of March 19, Arizona Public Service (APS) troubleshooter Robert Butler was driving along Grant Street when something unusual caught his eye. Sitting on the sidewalk was a small wagon and an umbrella - items that didn’t quite make sense on their own.

Then he saw him.

A young child, believed to be around 3 years old, was running up the sidewalk—straight toward a busy intersection, completely unaware of the danger ahead.

Butler didn’t hesitate.

“My heart dropped,” he recalled. In one swift motion, he pulled over, jumped out of his truck, and rushed toward the toddler, reaching him just before he could step into traffic.

Looking back, Butler still struggles to explain how everything lined up so perfectly.

"Thinking back on it now, I’m not sure if it was God or something was divine intervention," said Butler. "I don’t know, but there was something that day that was off than normal that just put me at the right place or right time. I just think about when I get home and my son’s happy to see me. So just thinking that – that little boy can be happy to see his parents or whoever."

Watch the heart-stopping rescue below: