Lucas absconded...found on busy road today...

[Mamaduke]

Lucas spotted Jesse and I going to the car tonight heading to scouts. He started to carry on so my Mum (who was looking after him) tried to distract him with a chocolate crackle from the fridge. He took off in a huff to his room so she went to the fridge and then headed to his bedroom to give it to him...
he wasn't there.
She checked Jesse's room, under the beds all the while calling out his name. She was positive that he didn't run past her to go into the playroom and as she walking past the front door (which was shut) something just made her touch it and it opened easily. She felt a wave of panic come over her and went out the front where she noticed our neighbour getting out of her car and running towards the corner of our street. Mum called out to her if she'd seen a little boy and she said she had. My Mum's legs went to jelly as she started running towards the corner. Our neighbour was quite a way ahead of my Mum but by the time she got to the corner Lucas was gone! They both went running to the next corner where they found 2 young guys standing out the front of their house pointing in the direction Lucas had went...
Mount Dandenong Road!!!! For those who don't know, Mt Dandy Road is an extremely busy road and it was about 5.30pm, just when it starts to get even busier with peak hour. As they rounded the corner they found a lady holding Lucas' hand. She had spotted him from her car so she stopped, got out and chased him down.
He was heading for Jesse's school thinking that's where we were going! He would have tried to cross the road to get to the school!
My God, he would have been hit by a car had he tried to cross.
My Mum was inconsolable tonight, she feels terrible and she's now gone home to say the Rosary and thank Mother Mary for watching over Lucas and keeping him from harm.
We are now going to get a front fence built with electric gates.

[razzle]

That's so scary MD.... *shudders*

[Lirael]

thats so scary glad he is ok...but electric gates? will that shock the kids?

[Cheeky Little Monkey]

That is one determined 3 year old you have there Mamaduke. Thank goodness he was alright. Your poor Mum (and poor You) that would have been so frightening!

[Ange&Seth]

Oh how scary :eek: You're mum must be beside herself!

[Elfin]

I felt panic just reading your story, glad he was ok though.

[Ange&Seth]

thats so scary glad he is ok...but electric gates? will that shock the kids?

I think she means electric closing gates.

[oleander]

I know Mt Dandy Rd. That's really scary.:eek: Good on you for getting a fence! I would do the same.

[TwoBlue]

Oh MD how horridly scary for you and your mum

:hugs:

I am just so, so glad that Lucas is ok

:hugs:

[Mamaduke]

I think she means electric closing gates.
Yes that's what I meant...that was also my reaction when DH announced this to me though "Electric? Have you gone completely mad?" :o

Mum went over to thank the neighbour tonight for her help and the neighbour said she couldn't get over how fast Lucas was and that she's positive he'll be an athlete because she just couldn't catch up to him.

[punkbaby]

omg that road is crazy!! how scary for you geez kids can be so quick cant they! so glad that his ok

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

Wow how scary for you and your family :(

Glad Lucas is safe and sound,he must have angels watching over him :)

[KarniF00l]

Holy Cow MD! I know exactly how busy Mt Dandy rd can get.

Your poor mother, poor Lucas, poor family! OMG how scary that must have been. Glad to hear that Lucas came back safe and well.

[Lirael]

oh sorry :o

[Mamaduke]

When I spoke with him about his adventure I said "Lucas you mustn't go out the front without Nanny, Mummy or Daddy...there are baddies about!" - thinking he'll get what I mean as he loves Brum and they always say "There are baddies about".
He replies with...
"Ha ha ha...baddies about? I like 'em, they're funny, they fall over!"
:no: :confused:

[JnA]

Wow, my heart started racing as I was reading that. Your poor mum must be beside herself.

It's nice to hear that there are still people out there willing to help in a situation though.

:hugs: for you all, but especially your mum.

[icugal]

How scary for you all !!! That would be my worst nightmare... how is your poor mum doing?? she must feel awful.


I actually watched an elderly lady get hit by a car on Mount Dandenong Rd outside Maroondah Hospital a few years ago... amazingly she survived (though she was very badly injured). It was lucky for her that the morning staff at the hospital were leaving to go home... so within about one minute of being hit, she had three ICU trained nurses (including myself), an emergency nurse and the Director or Emergency there at her side.

Scary stuff.

Can you put some sort of lock on the door??

[Mamaduke]

Can you put some sort of lock on the door??
There's already a deadlock which is always closed but not locked with a key and Lucas can get that open while turning the door handle.
That's why my Mum is so angry with herself...there's a latch up high which we specifically put there so the boys wouldn't get out and she didn't lock it...she's so beside herself about that.

[icugal]

I really feel for your mum... such a simple and easy thing to do... and yet it could have had such an awful outcome so quickly.

Damn these kids for being so quick !!! :D

[Mamaduke]

She was just trying to quickly find something to distract him from the fact that we were leaving and totally forgot to snib it. She said that had he stayed around the door she would have but because he went running off to his room she just didn't think to do it.
I kept trying to tell her it was okay but she's feels so guilty.

[RedPanda]

Oh MD, your poor mum (and you).

Glad to hear Lucas is safe, but must have been such a scary time for you.

[FunkyMonkey]

you poor thing! and what a lucky boy. I'm so glad he's safe.

[our little treasures]

Oh dear!! Your poor mum! My little man took off out of Maccas the other night through a door someone had opened. Ran straight out on the road heading for the princess highway. I had to scream at the maccas lady out there to grab him as me being in stitches with my SPD was no way going to be able to catch him!:no: I can tell you the horror and sick feeling you get is something you cannot explain

[Roopee]

This is so scary isnt it!
Your poor mum must have been ceside herslef and you must have felt sick listening to it!!

This happened to me a few weeks ago- my 4 yr old son snuck out the locked front door:eek: and was found 10 minutes later on the median strip of a busy road! WITH OUR DOG! He had let the dog out accidentally and ran after her. He had hold of her collar on the median strip and as the dog is heavier than he is, everytime the dog pulled, he pulled him onto the road. I didnt know whether the hug him or slap him when we got him home.

[Myztik]

How scary!! Glad L is ok though.. Your poor mum :(

my ds1 did similar when he was about 2, got out a friends back gate that leads onto a major road. Luckily it was Sunday and not many cars on the road. In the time it took for me to realize where he'd gone a lady had stopped and grabbed off the road and was trying to ask him where he lived.. I was in tears, ds1 was oblivious to it all lol.

[nemosmum]

oooh gawd Carly that is my worst nightmare!!!

Your poor mum, and big hugs to you all!

That is super scary and something I hope never happens again!

Our lil spirited men really love scarying the bejeebers out of us!!!

:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:

[sueliz]

Goodness - reading this thread makes me glad I am in a rental that has security screen doors at the front and back that I always have locked, (more due to me being paranoid about securty then anything else). It's obvious from some stories here how much can happen in the blink of an eye - how awfully scary for all of you!!

MD - of course your Mum is going to feel guilty as we all would in her situation. At least she has you telling her to not blame herself as I am sure if would have been easy to blurt out something in panic you may have not meant and then regretted later.

Wow - my heart is pounding after just reading all of this - I don't want to even imagine how you, your mother and others who have had this happen must have felt.

It's wonderful to know though that there are so many motorists out there who would stop seeing something like this to help a young child.

[Mamaduke]

We weren't able to thank the motorist who stopped but Mum and Lukey headed over to the neighbour's house last night (the one who jumped out of her car and ran after Lucas) with a box of Lindt chocolates as a thank you.
Lucas handed her the chocolates and said, "Thanks lady for savin' my loife"
This one is going to cause me a lot of sleepless nights, I can tell!:no:

[nut]

:eek:
Oh thank goodness he is OK.

[Leeny]

Your mum must feel absolutely terrible. Stuff like this is always on my mind, and I get that gut wrenching goose bump feeling when I even read about it. Glad your little man is OK.

[ebonyxox]

That would have been so scary!

[reAllytee]

OMG !

MD how distressing for you all :hugs: :hugs:

Sounds like the Big Guy certainly was looking out for L !

[QueensMum]

Oh My!! :eek:

That made me feel stressed just reading your post. How terrifying!!

I'm so glad that your little boy is safe and sound.

[JenNT]

I know exactly how you feel. I don't really want to dredge up an awful memory so will leave it at that.
Thank God he is ok MD.:hugs:

[sare]

OMG glad he is ok. What a terrible experience for your mum. Mt Dandenong Rd is an absolute shocker at the normal times, let alone peak hour.