Cyclist who found toddler along Tyler roadway thankful it didn’t end tragically

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - The cyclist who found a toddler abandoned along a Tyler roadway said he is thankful the situation didn’t end in tragedy.

Braxton Warren said he was on his way to the CEFCO gas station at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night when he noticed something in the roadway along Rhones Quarter Road.

“I was just on the way to the gas station to get some food and whenever I first saw the baby, I didn’t know what I was looking at, like I first I thought it was maybe like, I don’t know, a tipped over trash can with like a doll inside,” he said.

He said as he got closer he noticed it was a car seat and there was a child inside.

“Whenever I got close enough the baby actually wiped her eye, and that’s when I realized it was a real baby,” he said.

Warren says he immediately checked to see if she belonged to any nearby houses or businesses. He checked for any bruises or scrapes.

“She wasn’t causing too much of a fuss, so I just decided instead of worrying about whose baby she might be, like since I found her on the road, we probably need to call the police and get her checked out, like as soon as possible.”

Luckily the child was not hurt and is safe with the grandparents. The father accused of leaving the child is Paul Hanna. He was arrested and charged with a driving while intoxicated and child endangerment.

Police say a short time after they were alerted to the toddler, they found Hanna at the CEFCO gas station, intoxicated, behind the wheel.

Warren says no cars were coming by when he found the child and he’s thankful the situation did not end in tragedy.

“I know for a fact that if a car had been coming it would have been a very different story right now.”

The child had just recently turned one. We’re told there had been a birthday party soon before the incident on Tuesday evening.

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