A school bus mistakenly dropped a 5-year-old Nashville, Tennessee boy off at his home on Tuesday, causing the child to attempt a dangerous eight-mile walk.

When school let out at 3 p.m. Antonio Easley, who is in kindergarten, was supposed to go to after-care at the school until 5 p.m. His mom would then pick him up from work.
Instead, he was put on a school bus and dropped off at his home. His mother, Courtney Easley, who works at a furniture store eight miles away, was still at work.

A panicked Antonio decided to walk along Nashville’s busy Gallatin Road to get to his mom in the pouring rain. It was a dangerous walk for the boy: Antonio had to cross five lanes of traffic at the intersection of Gallatin Road and Old Hickory Boulevard, dodging cars along the way.

“He almost was hit by cars two times,” said Easley.

A clerk at a gas station where the child stopped to get out of the rain gave Antonio an umbrella, but offered no other help. A couple in a car driving by offered Antonio a ride in their car, which he refused because his mother told him never to get in a car with strangers.

The female passenger in the car, Andrea Strickler, walked with Antonio while her husband drove slowly along Gallatin Road. he 5-year-old eventually got in the car.
An hour and a half later, Antonio finally got to his mom.

“We are thankful to God and to Mrs. Strickler, who helped Antonio. An angel was looking over him during his journey,” said Courtney Easley.