Baby Boy Abandoned On I-40, Rescued By Drivers

A four-week-old baby is in DHS custody after he was abandoned near traffic. Police said the infant was left on the side of Interstate 40 near Triple X road Saturday afternoon. The baby’s mother was located the same day and taken to a metro hospital for evaluation.

Several drivers stopped to rescue the baby from danger. Oklahoma City resident Alexis Harrison and her husband were driving to Ada on Interstate 40 when they noticed the car seat. It was a sight Harrison will never forget.

“Obviously our initial reaction was, that’s not real,” said Harrison. “There’s no way that’s real.”  

Harrison and her husband pulled over moments after the driver of a church van stopped.

‘When we got there,” said Harrison. “I said please tell me that not what I think it is and he said it’s a baby.”

The baby was in a car seat barely visible through the tall brush. He was abandoned on the side of the interstate without food or water. Harrison said surprisingly the 4-week-old was calm and not crying.

“His eyes were just huge,” said Harrison. “You know, just what is going on kind of look.”  

Police determined the baby had not been there long and was not harmed.

“This could have had a very tragic outcome,” said Msgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department. “Not only because of cars going by but it was hot that day. The temperature was in the 90s and you’re talking about a child that’s like 4-weeks-old.”

Police also found more than $5,000 in cash with the baby and documents that led officers to his mother. She was taken to an area hospital for evaluation. Police are investigating and said the mother faces one complaint of child abandonment.

Drivers are still left wondering why she left her child near a busy and dangerous road.

“No matter how he wound up there, you can’t get to a justifiable reason,” said Harrison. “It was very heartbreaking.”

DHS could not comment about specifics of the case just that the baby is safe and in state custody. He will either be placed with family or a foster family.