And Now From The Stupid Parent Files

[Chris]

4yr old steal car in the middle of night.

Police: 4-year-old drives mom's car to video store
Monday, February 7, 2005 Posted: 9:25 AM EST (1425 GMT)

SAND LAKE, Michigan (AP) -- 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.

Although unable to reach the accelerator, the boy managed to put the car in gear and make his way to the store, a quarter-mile from his home, about 1:30 a.m. Friday, Sand Lake 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 Officer Jay Osga, who first thought he was following a car that had been left running at a gas pump.

He flipped on his lights when the car turned into the apartment complex and struck two parked cars. The boy put the car in reverse and struck Osga's cruiser.

The mother told police her son tried to drive the car earlier after she let him steer from her lap.

"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."

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


Idiot... :beatup:

You think at FOUR your child would have AT LEAST the BASIC concept of reality, right, and wrong.

Chalk this one up to bad parenting. :rolleyes:

[Radon]

:lol: Wonder what he wanted at the video store in the middle of the night... a crafty kid tho... :D

[JaySteele]

This is one hard story to believe.. ((Not that I'd ever question your credibility Chris))

-4-yr-old woke up
-got his parents keys
-got out of the apartment
-got into the car (most people lock theirs, but even without.. that's pretty impressive)
-knew how to start the car
-got it in gear
-got it out of a parking spot
-got it out of the parking lot and onto the street
-was able to steer to the video store (WHY WAS HE GOING TO THE VIDEO STORE??)
-then got out
-found it closed
-got back in
-started driving home...

That is assuming a LOT of skill out of a kid in pre-school. I'd be tempted to call this a hoax.. but a quick search found it on 5 different AP sites..

So.. I guess it's legit.

Wow.. probably looking at the world's next great racecar or stunt driver in that kid..

[computer2slow]

Just saw it on the news. He couldn't reach the petals so he would push the pedal speed up then go back up on the seat and steer.

[gphoenix51]

Well, I think they need to leave the lights on at the closest Juvinile Center, cuz this kid is definately heading there at some point in the future. And I don't understand how they got out of any charges, that should be child endangerment at least. If I was one of the people who's car got hit by that kid, you can be damn sure I'd sue the crap out of the mom, just so she learn to take care of that kid better. And as to why he was going to the video store, 2 things occur to me. Either he wanted a video and didn't realize the friggin store would be closed. Or his mom wanted something and sent him after it.

[gphoenix51]

:stupid Found out more about this story.

According to the Grand Rapids Metro, a 4-year-old boy in Sand Lake, MI was so intent on renting a videogame that he managed to leave the house during the night without waking his mother, then steer the family's Geo Prism down to the nearby video store, before discovering that it was closed. Police returned the boy to his home when they stopped the car, after noticing its erratic behavior on the road. The boy was apparently intending to rent a PlayStation driving game, which could account for his precocious performance at the wheel.

[Notorious G.O.D.]

:rofl @ the kid hitting the police cruiser!!! One H*ll of a story. How did the kid know where the store was? :lol:

[gphoenix51]

its probably one him and his mom went to all the time, and the story said it was just right down the street. Which is probably a good thing, seeing as how the kid would have real problems doing a turn.