A man walking on Highway 11 found a male toddler strapped into a car seat on the side of the road Thursday, according to a Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) incident report.

According to the report, the man was walking south on Highway 11 from its intersection with Highway 278 when he heard what he thought was a small child cry in the area of a ditch near 373 Highway 11.

After investigating the sound, the man reportedly observed a child in a blue car seat laying on its right side, facing the wood line. According to the report, he was still unable to see the child until he walked into the ditch and turned the car seat over.

When he turned the seat over, he reportedly discovered the child, awake and alert, buckled into it. According to the report, at that point he notified law enforcement.

NCSO, EMS and Newton County Fire Rescue responded to the scene to check the health of the child. EMS reportedly decided to transport the child via air ambulance as a precaution. According to the report, an investigator and the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFACS) were notified.

NCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cortney Morris notified local media outlets, including The Covington News, of the incident with pictures of the child, clothing found with him and the car seat in an attempt to locate anyone with knowledge of him. It was later confirmed by NCSO that the child’s mother had been located.

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- INVESTIGATORS INTERVIEW TODDLER'S MOTHER: http://www.covnews.com/section/1/article/203225/ 

- TODDLER'S MOTHER LOCATED: http://www.covnews.com/section/1/article/203223/