Photo shows baby crawling across New Jersey street; child unharmed

LAKEWOOD, N.J. — A man said he stopped traffic on Saturday when he saw something almost unbelievable — a baby crawling across the street. 

Cory M. Cannon, 41, of Eatontown, New Jersey, said he was driving to work after 5 p.m. ET Saturday when he spotted something on Joe Parker Road in Lakewood.

"I thought it was a toy or something until she moved," he wrote in a message to the Asbury Park (New Jersey) Press. "I knew I needed to get some sort of proof and my GPS was open on my phone, so I used my work vehicle to slow down traffic behind me and took the pic as I was exiting the vehicle and halting oncoming cars."

He said he called Lakewood police after finding the baby and gave them the address.

Police confirmed the incident, and as of Monday morning, said no arrests have been made. 

"It was an accident," a woman at the home where the baby lived told an Asbury Park Press reporter who knocked on the door.  While not opening the door, the woman thanked the reporter for the opportunity to comment, but added that she was busy taking care of the baby and couldn't talk.

Lakewood Police Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said the investigation revealed the baby may have left through a door that was left open by an older sibling, and that the family was unaware the child  was gone until a neighbor returned the child, who wasn't harmed.

Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles said state child welfare workers had been in contact with the baby's family. 

"Anytime you have a child that’s endangered they get involved to make sure the child is safe," Coles said. The police investigation is also ongoing, Staffordsmith said. 

The speed limit on the road is 40 mph.

Cannon said a neighbor came out to the street at the same time he did to retrieve the baby, before police arrived. He followed the neighbor back to the baby's house. A young child answered the door, which was ajar, he said. 

"I believe she crawled right out of the front door," Cannon said. 

By Sunday evening, Cannon's photo and Facebook post about the baby had gone viral, garnering more than 500 comments and over 2,000 shares. The post has since been removed. 

Cannon, who has a four-month-old daughter and multiple nieces and nephews, said he was shocked by the ordeal.

Afterward, "I couldn’t wait to see my daughter and give her a big bear hug," he said.