You wouldn't think an 8-year-old boy's feet could reach the gas pedal and still see out the windshield. However, it was reported that an 8-year-old Ohio boy drove his 4-year-old sister half a mile away when they craved McDonald's cheeseburgers last Sunday night. The little sister was riding shotgun while riding with her brother in a van.
How boy learned to drive
The boy learned to drive by watching tutorials on YouTube. The videos provided everything he needed to know except that 8 years old is too young to drive. Police said witnesses observed that the boy obeyed all the traffic laws.
They noted that he stopped at red lights and made proper turns. The boy probably had planned this in advance, and he wanted to test his skills based on what he had learned from the videos.
The child reportedly drove through four intersections and over railroad tracks in order to get to his local McDonald's. Witnesses say the boy stayed within the speed limits and made it safely to the fast food chain while his parents were sleeping at home. It was later learned that the children's father had worked all day and went to bed early. The mother had been relaxing with the kids on the couch. When she fell asleep, her son decided to take his sister to McDonald's.
Arrival at McDonald's drive through
When the two children arrived at the McDonald's drive through around 8 p.m., the cashier thought it was a prank.
Workers couldn't believe what they were seeing. They thought an adult must be hiding in the back seat. When workers saw that the children were alone, the police were called.
The children were still holding their piggy banks when the responding policeman arrived and discovered it was not a prank. The only explanation the 8-year-old driver had was that he really wanted a cheeseburger even though they had eaten dinner earlier.
He began to cry after realizing he shouldn't have driven to the restaurant. He confessed that he waited for his mother to fall asleep before he took the keys to the family van.
While waiting for their grandparents to arrive, the kids did get to eat their cheeseburgers. A friend of the family who knew the kids called their grandparents, who came as soon as they got the news.
East Palestine Police Officer Jacob Koehler reported that the boy was able to reach the pedals by standing up while driving the one-ton van. Surprisingly, he didn't hit anything or run any red lights. Since no one was injured while the child was driving, the police decided not to press any charges.
