ABC7 reports that a 9-year-old boy behind the wheel of a car in California led police on a chase that ended near the child’s school.
The boy, who was on his way to school, surprised the police officer who pursued him after the car stopped. According to ABC7.
“It’s shocking,” said Trooper Terry Dunn of the California Highway Patrol. “A few other officers showed up, but it was like, ‘No one really believed me.'” “So several other officers showed up at the scene to confirm that it was actually the 9-year-old who was driving the car.”
Dunn told ABC7 that when he noticed the car stopped in the middle of the intersection, he used the patrol car’s PA system to tell the driver to move. (Related: Video shows British constable borrows boy’s bike to chase suspect)
California police officers were shocked when the car they were chasing stopped and they discovered a 9-year-old boy behind the wheel. https://t.co/TTckPbZWmy https://t.co/TTckPbZWmy
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) March 29, 2024
The boy then drove off through an intersection and through a gas station parking lot, eventually ending up on a dirt lot and backing into Dunn’s patrol car, ABC7 said.
“After a few seconds, I noticed a small head bobbin inside, which is unusual,” Dunn told ABC7. “I got out of the police car, walked over, and saw what I thought was a 9-year-old kid sticking his head out and saying, ‘I’m sorry, I was trying.'” Arriving at school. ‘”
According to the newspaper, it turned out that the vacant lot where the boy stopped was right next to a school.
“At that point, we’re trying to determine if that’s the school he actually attended. We contacted the principal, we contacted the parents, and we all showed up at the scene. “Dan said.
According to ABC7, no one was hurt, but Dunn said the incident should serve as a warning to children to keep their car keys out of reach.
“I hope many others take this to heart and learn from it,” he said. “So we hope that something like this never happens again in the future. Try talking to your kids about the dangers of driving and what can happen.”
Eventually, the boy was able to go to school, Dunn told ABC7.
