A kid several years away from even getting his learner’s permit decided he could handle his own ride home from school.
ABC affiliate WKRN reports that a 10-year-old boy took the wheel behind his mom’s car while she went inside his Tennessee elementary school. According to police, the boy successfully drove the vehicle back to his house, albeit while reportedly jumping a curb and bumping into the garage refrigerator.
The kid apparently hatched the idea when he got into an argument with his mom, who left the car running when she left to enter the school. When he arrived, his father was reportedly confused as to how his son got home without his mother.
“Our team responded swiftly and effectively, working closely with Wilson County Schools and Wilson County Sheriff SROs to review video and gather facts as quickly as possible,” says Mt. Juliet Police Department Chief Tyler Chandler. “I’m incredibly thankful that the child was found safe and unharmed.”
The boy won’t face any criminal charges, though the case will go to the Department of Children’s Services for further review. In a twist, the father was arrested for an unrelated outstanding wire fraud charge, which police discovered while investigating the car incident.