North Texas electrician, son narrowly miss hitting five-year-old boy walking on busy highway
DENTON — Will and Britten Gunter were en route to a client on March 27 when the drive took a shocking turn.
Will Gunter, who works for C&G Electric in Krum, said he and his son were having a regular morning chat. Then, he said, a kid came into the roadway.
"You see a little five-year-old run out in front of the truck in the dark," Will Gunter said.
The 50-year-old electrician said he was driving, and his 30-year-old son was in the passenger seat. They both said the child came out of nowhere, not wearing anything reflective.
Will Gunter had less than three seconds to swerve to the side of Loop 288 near Stuart Rd. His truck and excavator in tow, weighing 12,000 pounds, had to turn on a dime and not fishtail.
"I'm trying to accept the reality of there's a child in the road," said Will Gunter. "Just all kind of happened real fast."
The incident was recorded on camera in a company truck. Will Gunter's swerve seemed smooth as the sky parted with hues of daylight. Meanwhile, the boy froze in fear, his arm raised in a defensive posture.
Britten Gunter jumped out of the truck to check on the child.
"He had already crossed the street," Britten Gunter said. "He was crying a little bit. He wasn't hysterical or balling, but he definitely had tears."
According to Britten Gunter, the child provided his name and age. The boy also reportedly told Britten Gunter he was walking to school because his mother and grandmother had to work. Will Gunter called Denton Police.
DPD said the boy's mother called 911 around the same time. Police said the child was less than two miles from home. Officers said there were no criminal charges. According to DPD, Child Protective Services was notified following the incident.
Britten Gunter gave the child candy until the officers arrived. His father had to pull it together because a tragedy was just feet in front of him.
"I broke down, you know, afterward," Will Gunter said. "Definitely had angels standing beside him that morning."
Will Gunter, a grandfather of two, said he would like to meet the boy someday.
"I feel like I bonded with him the second I put my eyes on him," he said. "It was like looking at somebody that shouldn't be there, you know? And yeah, it was a miracle."
