GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say an 8-year-old boy took off in his mother’s SUV and drove for miles with an infant sibling in the back seat.
Gastonia police say the boy’s mother called 911 saying she gave the boy her keys and told him to start the car as they left a relative’s home Tuesday night. Instead, he drove off.
“As soon as we’ve seen him pull off, we tried to chase him down the road,” the woman told the 911 operator, WSOC-TV reported.
Spokesman Rick Goodale said the boy drove nearly 2 miles to his home, then left again before being stopped by authorities a few blocks later.
The mother told WSOC-TV that her son accidentally put the car in reverse, then shifted into drive. The child told the TV station that he was scared, but knew to stop at traffic lights because he watched how his mom drives.
The 8-year-old isn’t facing charges, but Goodale said the police department has referred the matter to the Department of Social Services.
