A 7-year-old boy took his mother’s SUV on a 14-kilometre drive with his 5-year-old sister in tow — all because they wanted a McDonald’s breakfast.
The incident unfolded on the morning of 27 April in Utah, where local police received a report around 8 a.m. about a vehicle being driven recklessly. Officers didn’t immediately pursue the car after a witness reported that “the driver appeared to be a young child,” according to ABC4.
Eventually, the white SUV came to a halt after mounting a parking strip. When officers approached the vehicle, they were stunned to find two young children inside — a 7-year-old boy at the wheel, and his younger sister in the passenger seat. Neither child was injured.
It turned out the siblings had managed to travel 14 kilometres from their home, determined to reach McDonald’s with cash in hand for Happy Meals.
Their mum, Whitney Bush, was unaware her two children were missing until she got a call from police. She was shaken to learn how far they had gone, and how.
“I absolutely had my heart in my stomach… I had no idea what was going on,” the single mother of four said in an interview. “I don’t think anybody wakes up in the morning or goes through their day thinking their 7-year-old is going to play ‘Grand Theft Auto’ with their vehicle.”
Given the boy’s age, police are not taking any legal action — but at home, it’s a different story. Bush says her son is facing serious consequences, including chores for neighbours and a very long grounding.
“He’s in a world of trouble, he’s probably grounded for the rest of his life,” she told ABC4..
The boy, who has displayed behavioural issues in the past, may have been driven by his ambition to one day become a truck driver. His mum had to remind him that day wouldn’t be any time soon.
“I told him it’s not gonna be today, he’s gotta wait,” she said.
Lifestyle
