At what age should a child begin to learn to drive? Evidently, one man in Arizona thought that his 10-year-old was capable of piloting a Ford truck on the 101 Freeway. He’s now in jail after his son led police on a short chase in the middle of early afternoon traffic.
The incident took place Saturday, September, 2nd around 3:30 p.m. when Arizona State Troopers began receiving reports of a pickup truck speeding and weaving on the highway. Police caught up with the red Ford pickup truck on the westbound side of the highway but the boy didn’t stop initially.
After an undisclosed amount of time, the boy managed to pull over what looks like an F-250 to the emergency shoulder. Police then confirmed that he was driving and apprehended his father, a 49-year-old, who was allegedly drunk with an open alcohol container in the passenger seat.
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Police booked the man into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on multiple charges including suspicion of endangerment, unlawfully permitting a minor to drive, and having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. The Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed that the 10-year-old boy isn’t facing any charges associated with the incident.
Notably, the 101 Loop where the boy was driving is one of the busiest state freeways in the area. It’s a semi-beltway that connects Chandler, Scottsdale, Sun City West, Phoenix, and Glendale. Where police stopped the boy, in Phoenix, the speed limit is 65 mph. It’s a relief that this incident didn’t end in a tragedy.