A preteen girl with a pink backpack was so concerned about being absent after missing her bus, that she walked along a busy interstate to get to class on time.
Police say the girl, who is not being named, missed her school bus Wednesday morning and decided to walk to school instead -- along the normally congested Interstate 270 in Rockville, Maryland.
According to about a dozen 911 callers, the girl was walking southbound in the northbound lanes near the right-hand shoulder of I-270.
"It's very scary given how much traffic we had out on the roadways, and aggressive drivers," said Lt. Daniel Pickett of Maryland State Police. "We made it important to get out there as quick as we could and sent multiple troopers out."
By the time the girl was located, she had arrived at her middle school, already having walked about a mile along the interstate.
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Montgomery County Schools issued the following statement:
We are aware of the situation that occurred today and have been in contact with the student's parents. We certainly would never encourage a student to walk on the highway and it is our hope that no one else will engage in such risky behavior.
