What started as a traffic stop turned into a gift for a mother of three.

When Douglas County sheriff’s deputies pulled over a woman Dec. 16 for a speeding violation, one of them noticed that the children in the backseat weren’t properly secured, spokesman Lt. Glenn Daniel said.

An 8-month-old and a 1-year-old were each in a child safety seat that didn’t have retention straps, Daniel said.

“The 2-year-old was sitting in the middle of the other two children and was not secured properly, either,” he said.

So Douglas County Deputy Matthew Atkins left the mother with deputies Anthony Roberson and Troy Stoyles, went to Wal-Mart and bought three car seats. Roberson and Stoyles also offered to each pay for a seat.

When Atkins returned, “all three deputies installed the seats properly and instructed the mother on how to properly secure a car seat in a vehicle for her children,” Daniel said.

Authorities gave the woman warning citations and released her.

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