State Trooper Locates Lost 5-Year Old Kindergartener South of Amity

Amity's Superintendent told OSP that he will fully investigate the incident and put procedures into place to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Salem-News.com salutes OSP Trooper Mark McDougal Photo By: Tim King

(AMITY) - An Oregon State Police trooper found a lost Amity Elementary kindergarten boy on Highway 99W about one mile south of Amity Wednesday afternoon. The boy reportedly was trying to walk home after being dropped off at the middle school where it was believed he was to be picked up by a relative.

Amity School District officials are looking into the incident.

Around 3:15 PM Wednesday, the State Police Northern Communications Center dispatch began receiving calls about what appeared to be a lost and confused small boy walking along Highway 99W south of Amity.

OSP Trooper Mark McDougal responded to the area, and found the boy at about 3:30 PM on the side of the road. As the trooper arrived, an Amity School District student teacher also stopped.

The 5-year old boy told McDougal he was lost after a school district bus dropped him off at Amity Middle School. He said his feet were sore and that he ate some Easter candy kept in his back pack because he was hungry.

Trooper McDougal contacted Amity School District Superintendent Reg McShane. Initial information indicates that the boy was dropped off at the middle school about 30-minutes earlier where he was to be picked up by his Aunt, but instead he tried to walk home.

Superintendent McShane told OSP that he will fully investigate the incident and put procedures into place to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Trooper McDougal transported the boy, along with a Buddy Bear that was given to him, to his home where he was turned over to an Uncle. McDougal praised the boy for memorizing the address where he lived which was about a mile and a half from the location where he was found.