A Cherokee County boy is being called a hero after rescuing an 8-year-old girl from the path of an oncoming car.
Jacob Austin, 11, pulled Taylor Carver, 8, to safety when she stepped out onto Springfield Drive near Highway 92 in Woodstock, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Both children have autism and attend The Grant Academy, a private school for students with special needs.
“His dad and I are very, very proud that he was able to do that,” Jacob’s mother, Amy Austin, told Channel 2. “I think we both kind of feel like we can’t take credit for it. We tried to raise him to be a certain way, of course.”
The students were on their way to a park near their school when the incident happened.
Grant Academy official David Wright said Jacob’s actions showed an innate quality that not every child has.
“They have to have it in them or they don’t and he does,” Wright said.
Donna Carver, Taylor’s mother, who was surprised to hear about the rescue, expressed thanks for Jacob’s quick thinking.
“I was shocked to hear what happened, and very thankful to Jacob that my daughter is OK, and he had such good instinct,” Donna Carver said.
The Woodstock Public Works Department is looking into pedestrian improvements for the area at the request of City Council members.
“We are looking into the option of installing sidewalks and researching the possibility of designating the area as a school zone,” the city said in an emailed statement. “We are committed to ensuring the safety of all pedestrians and providing a solution is our priority.”
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