5-year-old student leaves school, found walking along Hwy. 17 Thursday in Hampstead

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A 5-year-old boy was found walking along Hwy. 17 in Pender County on Thursday. 

On Friday, one of the women who found the child spoke out. 

The two women who were driving down Hwy. 17 spotted the child. They said they were in the right place, at the right time, and acted quickly. 

“It should’ve never happened. It should’ve never happened,” Angela Skipper, who found the 5-year-old walking alongside Hwy. 17, said. 

The child is a Topsail Annandale Elementary School student. 

“Both of us immediately saw him, the little guy running across, just trotting along,” Skipper said. 

They quickly pulled over and brought the boy back to school. They said the boy told them he was on the playground, when he got a headache, and decided to walk home.  

“We found out later that he did tell his mom that he couldn’t find a teacher to say, ‘hey, I don’t feel good,’” Skipper said. 

Skipper said this situation started badly but is thankful that it didn’t end worse.  

She said upon returning the child, hardly any questions were asked. She also wasn’t asked to provide an ID despite being in the school and with one of its students by her side.  

“I kinda expected them to be, like, more concerning as to ‘is he ok,’” Skipper said. 

She posed the question that if a child can so easily exit school grounds, does that mean someone can easily enter too?  

Pender County Schools issued a statement in response to Thursday’s situation saying: 

“On Thursday afternoon, an incident came to our attention, prompting immediate action from our school administration. In response, parents have been contacted and we are rigorously reviewing existing security protocols and staff responsibilities to strengthen safety measures within our school community. The safety and well-being of all individuals under our care are paramount, and we are dedicated to addressing any vulnerabilities in our current procedures. We remain committed to fostering a secure environment for our students and staff.”  — Dr. Brad Breedlove, Superintendent Pender County Schools. 

Skipper said she later found out that the boy would’ve had to eventually cross Hwy. 17 to make it home. 

On January 23 at 6:00 p.m. there will be a Board of Education meeting, which Skipper plans to attend.