“You can’t make this up,” said California Highway Patrol, opening up about the “short and erratic chase” with a “wide-eyed 9-year-old child.”
The California Highway Patrol in Oroville had quite the “plot twist” waiting for them following a “short and erratic chase” earlier this week.
According to the agency, “a scene straight out of a movie unfolded” around 9:20am on Wednesday morning as an officer came across a Volkswagen “stopped oddly” in the middle of an intersection. When the officer told the driver of the vehicle to move, he did just just that — and “unexpectedly sped off,” sparking a “short and erratic chase” which ended in a dirt parking lot nearby.
Per CHP, the driver “abruptly reversed the vehicle he was driving” after coming to a stop, “ramming” the VW into the patrol car “in a moment that could have led to a grave outcome.” While both vehicles sustained minor damages (pictured below), the real “plot twist” came when officers discovered who was behind the wheel of the runaway sedan.
“The driver was a 9-year-old child on a mission to drive himself to school in his mother’s car. Yes, you read that right – a 9-year-old behind the wheel!” exclaimed CHP in a release titled, “Another Episode of You Can’t Make This Up.” The child allegedly took his mother’s car for a spin — but this wasn’t a joyride, as he said he intended to drive himself to school.
Per authorities, the boy “was safely sent to school after the necessary authorities were alerted and the situation was documented.”
There were no injuries stemming from the incident, which CHP is using to highlight the “need for awareness around vehicle security and the importance of imparting road safety knowledge to our younger generation.” The agency also said they hoped it was a “wake-up call” to parents to “secure our vehicles” and educate children on driving safety.
Speaking with Action News Now, CHP officer Terry Dunn said the incident “was kind of one of those moments where no one really believed it” — leading to “several other officers” showing up “just to see it was a 9-year-old driving the car.”
“I saw it was a kid,” he recalled. “He said, ‘I’m sorry, I am just trying to get to school.'”
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