Baby found playing on busy highway in Dale County, mother arrested, police say | WDHN

Ashley Norton (courtesy of Dale County Jail)

DALE COUNTY, Alabama (WDHN) – A 21-year-old Dale County mother was arrested this week after investigators say she fell asleep and her child ran off and started playing on a busy highway.

Ashley Norton was arrested on Wednesday, July 10, and charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.

According to Pinckard Police Captain Jarred Ougletree, Norton’s 1-1/2-year-old daughter was seen by a motorist playing in a ditch on the side of Highway 134 in the 400 block on Wednesday morning.

Captain Ougletree says the driver turned around to see what was going on and when he returned to the child, he was wearing only a diaper and playing with a dog in the street.

Pinkard Police, Dale County Sheriff’s Deputies and DHR were called to the scene.

The police captain told WDHN that Norton was sleeping with several other people in the house from which the child escaped and did not notice her disappearance.

Norton was released from the Dale County Jail just over three hours after her arrest.

According to Captain Ougletree, the baby was not injured and was temporarily placed in the care of a friend of Norton.

Although no further charges have been filed, Captain Ougletree says the DHR investigation is still ongoing.