Trendpills
A 10-year-old boy took matters into his own hands following a dispute with his mother, driving himself home from his elementary school in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The incident triggered a police response after the mother reported her car stolen with her child inside.
Authorities were called to W.A. Wright Elementary School around 1 p.m. on a Friday. The boy's mother told police she had briefly gone inside the school to drop off paperwork, leaving her son waiting in the vehicle. When she returned, both the car and the child were gone. This led to an initial report of a car theft involving a child, prompting an immediate investigation by the Mt. Juliet Police Department.
A witness at the scene provided a crucial account, telling officers they saw the car backing out of its parking spot recklessly. According to the witness, the vehicle nearly struck another car, jumped a curb, and then sped away from the school premises. Police later stated that the incident stemmed from a disagreement between the mother and son that had occurred earlier.
Fortunately, the situation was resolved quickly and without injury. Officers located the boy and the car a short time later at the family's home on Montrose Drive, not far from the school. The child was found safe and unharmed. The Mt. Juliet Police Department confirmed the boy had driven himself home. While this event ended safely, similar incidents involving underage drivers have occurred elsewhere, sometimes with more severe consequences. In a separate case in Florida, two siblings aged 10 and 11 drove over 200 miles after their mother confiscated their electronic devices. That journey also ended with a police stop on a major interstate, but both children were found unharmed. Authorities in Tennessee have not announced if any charges will be filed in the Mt. Juliet case.
