4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

S

steve

With "LOD" Since 1997
He must have seen that C6 Corvette commercial.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=10&u=/ap/20050207/ap_on_fe_st/young_driver

-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

35 minutes ago

SAND LAKE, Mich. - A boy drove his mother's car to a video store in the middle of the night, police said — and he's all of 4 years old.

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap_av/20050207/vidsthumb.0207dv_preschool_driver.jpg

Even though he was unable to reach the accelerator, the boy managed to put the car in gear and the idling engine provided enough power to take him slowly to the store, a quarter-mile from his home, about 1:30 a.m. Friday, Police Chief Doug Heugel said. Finding the store closed, the youngster began a slow trip home.

Weaving and with its headlights off, the car got the attention of police Sgt. Jay Osga, who initially thought he was following a driverless car that had taken off after being left running at a gas pump.

The car turned into the boy's apartment complex and struck two parked cars, then backed up and struck Osga's police car.

That's when Osga discovered the boy inside.

"He knew how to go from forward to reverse," Osga said Monday. "The mother said she taught him how to drive by letting him sit on her lap and steer."

No charges will be filed against the boy or his mother, Heugel said.

"He's 4 years old. His mom didn't even know he was up," Heugel told The Grand Rapids Press. "I don't think he even realizes what he did."
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

It is quite remarkable that he could drive there and back, considering he could not reach the brake or accelerator pedal.

Alexander
Board of Directors
Lincolns of Distinction
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

I'm surprised no one got a ticket. Does anyone anymore really teach their children to drive while sitting on their lap? With airbags and everything, that is just not safe at all. There are child safety seat laws. And it doesn't teach children responsibility for a car. If they want them to drive, there's plenty of video games out there where they can practice steering all they want.
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

Why didnt they press charges? What if that kid hit someone? or hit my car while it was parked?

The mother should be held responsible.
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

I am sure the womans insurance will pay for the damages. Leaving your car keys on the counter is a far cry from leaving a gun on the counter. Are all of you parents telling me that you keep the keys to your car locked in a safe? Would you ever guess in a million years that your 4 year old child would take the car? I guess you could write the 4 year old a criminal citation for not having a drivers license. I dont think I would have the heart to take the kid to jail, and I could not look the judge in the eye if mom took the ticket to court.

What kind of car was it? Most cars since the 80's require you to apply the brake while shifting into gear.

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

I don't see how you're going to hold the mother responsible for a toddler getting her keys, getting in the car and driving it away while she was sound asleep.

Parents, beware! You now face prosecution if you don't keep your keys locked up at all times! We will be distributing key safes at the local police station! Be sure to keep these dangerous weapons out of the hands of children! Oh, lord, how many more children have to drive their parents cars before the insanity ends!
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

No, I keep my keys out. I'm not talking about prosecution, but there should be some sort of consequence for that action (however minimal). It's hard to know if the kid was just a rambunctious tot, or if this is going to be something that continues. Seriously, yes, make the child go to court to understand that this wasn't funny, and that there are consequences for his actions. If it were my child, I would expect him to learn a lesson from it. Something age appropriate of course.

I'm not talking anything extreme, but if there's nothing done about it now, what's to stop him from doing it again when he's say, 6 or something. :+
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

Well, I trust that parents know how to raise thier children. I trust that the mother would punnish her child appropriatly. Our courts are already very clogged. Should we be further clogging our courts to teach a kid a lesson when we already know that the court will not hand down a penalty for the child? I suspect that the mother will do far more to the kid when she gets the bill for the damage he caused.

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

The kid is 4 years old. He deserves a spanking and little else.

The mother was punished. Her son ran her car into 4 other vehicles. Now she has to explain that to her insurance company and deal with it getting fixed. Sounds like punishment enough to me.
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

You know, let's wait now for the mom to sue some automaker for not protecting her child against putting the car in motion. }(

Do I trust that parents know how to raise their children? Not so much anymore. I've come across more and more people who think it's appropriate to let their children run around wild in public and do nothing to stop them, or laugh at their antics. Sorry, I'm still on a rant because last week at work while I was away from my desk, a manager taking his 2-year-old around the office let her type on my computer! Then he laughed about it. (Good thing no drug databases were open or unlocked at the time.)

I can't help but wonder if a kid who did what that 4-year-old did is one of those. Maybe not... maybe he's just rambunctious.

You're right though - I didn't consider how clogged the courts are. But I don't think a spanking is appropriate either. I'd cut the child's allowance in 1/2 to have him help pay for damage. I'd have him apologize to the people who's cars he hit, things to drive home to him that his actions hurt other people. Other things along those lines.
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

We are talking about a 4 year old here people, how many of you even remember things in detail from when you were that age? I doubt this kid will remember much about the actual event when he is older, not sure how much you can punish him.
 
RE: 4-Year-Old Mich. Boy Drives Mother's Car

[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
I'd cut the child's allowance in 1/2 to have him help pay for damage. I'd have him apologize to the people who's cars he hit, things to drive home to him that his actions hurt other people. Other things along those lines.
[/div]

I don't think i had an allowance when i was 4.
 
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