A small boy, no bigger than six years old, lay in the middle of the road, clutching his skinned knee and wailing. His wails cut through the air, shrill and panicked. I looked around for his parents but saw no one around him. But what did catch my eyes sent a chill down my spine-a huge SUV headed toward him while the driver's eyes were fixed on his phone.

I sprang onto the road without thinking. My feet slapped on asphalt as, with a scooping motion, I hunched low and grasped the boy in my arms. Adrenaline surged within me, accelerating my actions, begging my speed. The roar of the...