Lyft Driver Rescues Worcester 2-Year-Old Wandering In Freezing Temperatures
WORCESTER (CBS/AP) — Police say a Lyft driver helped rescue a 2-year-old girl who was found wandering outside without shoes in freezing temperatures in Worcester.
The driver spotted the girl around 3 a.m. Wednesday when he was returning to his home after dropping off a fare.
"When I first saw her, it was this precious little girl. She looked at me, tears in her eyes, and I just felt all sorts of emotions," said Ashton Mazyck, who spotted the girl. "I had to make sure she was safe. I wanted her to feel safe."
The driver called his mother before calling police.
"Ashton is like 'mom come quickly. Bring a blanket,'" said Vida Mazyck. "He says, 'I found a little child standing outside.'"
They brought the child crying and scared to their apartment and tried to warm her up.
"Her feet were just encrusted with ice and snow and salt," Vida Mazyck said.
They called police who brought the child to a hospital for evaluation.
Police say the child's mother was working an overnight shift and her grandmother was watching her. Police believe the girl somehow got the door open while the grandmother was sleeping.
The child has since been released to her mother. Worcester Police say they're not pursuing criminal charges.
Earlier this month, a New Hampshire 2-year-old was found dead outside in bitter cold temperatures. The child walked out of her home in the middle of the night and wasn't found by a neighbor several hours later.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
