Joyride Gone Wrong in New Jersey Neighborhood
A quiet New Jersey neighborhood experienced a rude awakening early Monday morning when two 13-year-old twin sisters decided to take their parents’ SUV for a spin out of sheer boredom.
Since there was no school on Tuesday for Veterans Day, the girls were permitted to stay up later than usual on Monday night, perhaps leading to their reckless decision.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, around 2:20 a.m., the twins opted for a late-night adventure in their mom’s SUV, planning to have fun around the Canterbury Mews condominium.
However, their escapade was short-lived. The vehicle swerved across a residential street, veering onto neighbors’ lawns and eventually crashing into a fence, two air conditioning units, and a curb, as shown in surveillance footage.
Things took a more serious turn when the SUV slammed into the back of an apartment building. Once they crashed, the girls panicked and jumped out of the car, drawing the attention of nearby residents.
One neighbor, Alisa DeMayo, recalled hearing a woman’s voice yelling, “I’m scared, I’m scared!” She described the noise as sounding like a bomb going off, thinking something had struck her roof.
As the girls hurried back home, frightened neighbors, mistaking the crash for a gunshot, called the police. Officers quickly discovered the damaged SUV parked at the twins’ residence, easily following the path of destruction back to their house.
The police awakened the girls’ parents, finding the twins safe but shaken and unharmed from the ordeal.
Chief Patrick Gursik expressed relief, stating, “We’re grateful. This could have ended tragically.” He explained that the twins’ late-night boredom and subsequent actions led to the incident.
Fortunately, the apartment complex struck by the SUV was deemed safe for occupancy after an inspection by the town’s building official.
As for consequences, the girls will likely receive traffic citations, which typically involve lighter penalties like fines or community service for their unauthorized joyride.
In a related matter, a local council just eight miles north of this incident recently passed an ordinance allowing for legal repercussions or even jail time for parents whose children engage in disruptive behavior, a response to the chaotic TikTok fights that occurred throughout the state this past summer.
