4-Year-Old Takes Mom’s Car For a Joyride

A 4-year-old California boy got behind the wheel of his mom’s SUV and went on a wild ride after she left him unattended in the car.

The boy, whose name has been withheld by police, was traveling in a car seat with his mom around 4 p.m. Thursday when she pulled over to the Summit House restaurant in Fullerton, Calif.

While his 27-year-old mom got out of the car to use a pay phone, the nimble toddler unbuckled his car seat, jumped behind the wheel, put the vehicle in gear and sped away, police  said.

He managed to sideswipe another vehicle, cross into oncoming traffic, roll the car over, see it land back on its tires and just keep driving. The boy drove about a third of a mile in all before the car hit trees and came to a stop.

“We’re still investigating how all this happened,” Sgt. Andrew Goodrich of the Fullerton Police Department said.

No bystanders or fellow drivers were hurt, and police said the child sustained minor to moderate injuries.

The SUV was badly damaged.

“He was very fortunate,” said Goodrich.

The Fullerton Police Department’s traffic unit and family crimes detectives are investigating the accident, the Orange County Register reports.