Drama on the road unfolded in late March when a grey Volkswagen began driving with complete disregard for traffic rules, California Highway Patrol (CHP) wrote in a statement.
None other than a 9-year-old child was found behind the wheel after having sped away from the officer who responded.
Unaware of who was in the driver’s seat at the time, the officer instructed them to move the car and the driver unexpectedly sped off, the patrol agency wrote. The patroller was led on an erratic but short-lived chase that ended just east of Plumas Avenue Elementary School.
In a surprise turn of events, the driver, who came to a stop, abruptly put the Volkswagen into reverse, effectively “ramming the officer’s patrol car,” CHP alleged. They added that the incident “could have led to grave outcomes.”
In another plot twist, the officer made eye contact with the apparently underage driver—whom they identified as “a wide-eyed 9-year-old” on a mission to drive himself to school using his mom’s car.
Although both vehicles sustained minor damage, no one was injured in the episode. The child was sent off to school after the authorities were alerted and the situation was documented.
Taking to Facebook, CHP said the incident should serve as a “stark reminder of the dangers inherent in our daily commutes” and “a wake-up call to secure our vehicles and educate our children on the dangers of unauthorized driving.”
They wrote: “Let’s use this unusual event as a catalyst for conversations about safety, responsibility, and the importance of adhering to our community’s driving laws.”
Writing in reply below the post, Kimberly Slack claimed to be the child’s grandmother. “[H]is mother was In the bathroom,” she wrote, “he took it upon himself to just take the car.”
She thanked the patrollers for taking “appropriate actions,” thanked God “he or no one was hurt,” and confirmed that the child indeed was “on a mission to get to school.”
