10-Year-Old Charged With ‘Careless Driving’
It was just another ordinary day at the DMV office in Parker, Colorado when a strange turn of events left bystanders stunned. As the small number of customers and staff went about their business, a GMC Envoy crashed into the office’s waiting room. If the irony of having an SUV crash into the Department of Motor Vehicles was not enough, the driver was not even old enough to apply for a license at the office. That’s right, a 10-year-old girl was behind the wheel at the time of the accident.
The incident took place while the girl’s mother was inside the office. While waiting outside in the parking lot, the young girl moved into the driver’s seat. It appears the keys were left inside the vehicle, but the woman alleges that she did not leave the engine running. Nevertheless, the young girl managed to both put the keys in the ignition and switch the SUV out of park. The vehicle began to roll towards the building and did not come to a final stop until it was parked in the waiting room. Luckily, the office was not busy that day and no one was injured as a result of the accident. As the SUV was rolling through, the mother ran alongside the vehicle and instructed her daughter to hit the brakes.
Police see this as no laughing matter
Although this event seems like something pulled straight from a Hollywood comedy, the police see this as no laughing matter. Although the mother has not been charged with anything at this time, the same cannot be said for her daughter. The 10-year-old was slapped with a ‘careless driving’ charge. This is a criminal charge that carries with it the possibility of both fines and prison time. Although it is uncertain how the state will treat the 10-year-old offender, this is surely a position that no parent would ever want their child to be in.
In Michigan, Careless Driving is a civil infraction which carries the possibility of fines, costs and points to a driver’s license. Because of this, jail is not possible.