Rural Carrier William Goddard was recently delivering mail in Martins Ferry, OH, when he saw a car swerve on a four-lane highway to avoid hitting a 5-year-old boy darting in and out of traffic.
Goddard immediately stopped and waved at an oncoming truck to alert the driver to the presence of the child, who was wearing nothing but cowboy boots.
Once the truck passed, the Postal Service employee guided the boy to safety.
A nurse driving by stopped to offer assistance, covering the lad in a spare shirt and taking him to the local police station, since there were no houses in the immediate vicinity.
Officials investigating the matter determined that the child, who has autism, had wandered away unnoticed from a residence in a distant neighborhood.