10-year-old boy takes car, crashes into 2 houses during police chase
(WHIO/CNN) — Police said a 10-year-old boy took a car, led officers on a wild chase and crashed into two homes during the pursuit in Ohio.
The child was staying at a family friend’s house and took the keys to a car after everyone else went to sleep early Monday, according to the Sidney Police Department.
An officer spotted the car traveling the wrong way on a one-way street but didn’t realize a 10-year-old was behind the wheel.
The officer started the pursuit after the driver didn’t stop and drove off “in a reckless manner,” police said.
During the chase, the driver slammed into two houses and caused significant damage. He also hit several vehicles before coming to a stop.
Police were then able to take the child into custody. No injuries were reported.
“With the speeds that the 10-year-old was able to get the vehicle up to, we’re just lucky there were no other cars in the area or pedestrians out,” said Capt. William Shoemaker.
Police said they have a policy not to pursue vehicles driven by an underage person like in this incident. However, police said they did not know a 10-year-old was the driver of the car until after the pursuit had ended.
Photo Credit: kmov.com