Motorists conducting their mid-morning commute on Wednesday, May 7, along the Leeward Highway in Providenciales were startled and bewildered when they saw a baby girl no older than 18 months wandering in the middle of the west-bound lane in the vicinity of the recently-opened IBO complex.

The barefooted toddler clad only in diapers had already miraculously crossed the east-bound lane unscathed, and was in the process of making it across the west-bound lane when she caused tyres to screech. One of the vehicles stopped just inches away from her.

The incident caused a temporary traffic snarl as persons were shocked to see a baby with no adults in sight wandering in the middle of the busy thoroughfare.

A female, driving a minivan was the first to alight and whisk the aimless toddler from harm's way, which precipitated other motorists to dash from their vehicles to join in the investigation as to where the child had come from and the whereabouts of her guardians.

A Haitian National, who ran from the parking lot at the IBO Shopping Centre to investigate, attempted to call the police on his cellular phone when no one could establish who the child belonged to.

A male motorist travelling along the east-bound lane in a red pick-up truck also stopped to join in the search for the baby's parents. He was the one that actually discovered that the child was from a fence-less yard opposite the IBO shopping centre. He made contact with the householders and notified them of the wandering baby, who they failed to monitor, resulting in her ending up in the middle of the busy four lane highway, begging to be knocked down by often speeding motorists.

It was later learnt that the child's mother had gone across the road to the supermarket, leaving the baby in the house with her grandmother. However, in an attempt to follow her mother to the shop, the infant slipped from the house and was successful in crossing one part of the highway, hurdled her way across the divider and was seen in the middle of the other lane.

Though already mesmerized by the abandonment of the child, the rescuers were further bewildered when the grandmother angrily scolded the infant.

Following the drama, the baby's mother was seen hustling from the supermarket across the road with a concerned and embarassed look on her face.

One concerned rescuer remarked that the Welfare Department should have been notified about the incident, and that the family be cautioned about the danger in which they placed the child.