USPS logo LINK — USPS employee news Printable

Robert Batley, Denver

Denver Letter Carrier Robert Batley
Denver Letter Carrier Robert Batley

The sight of a toddler wandering in traffic, clothed only in a diaper, caused a Denver letter carrier to do a double take while delivering mail earlier this year.

“It was like a movie, but real,” said Robert Batley, who was the first driver to stop and retrieve the 2-year-old girl from the median of the busy street. “I never expected something like this to happen in my career.”

Once they were safely on the sidewalk, Batley called 911. Police officers eventually located the girl’s grandfather, who was caring for the girl while her parents were at work. He didn’t realize she was gone, and faced a misdemeanor child abuse charge.

“I’ve seen a lot of things as a mail carrier — that’s for sure — but this probably takes the cake,” Batley told The Denver Post, one of several media outlets that covered the rescue.

Post-story highlights