A seven-year-old boy decided he wanted to go on a joy ride to the Muncie Mall. As cars tried to stop him, he crashed near the Burger King west of the mall and near the Outback Steakhouse east of the mall.
It's amazing he made it to the mall. In a city like Muncie it is hard to stand out as a bad driver when most have no idea what to do when they hit the roads. In a city that wont pave its streets, it is fitting that a seven-year-old would begin to drive. Now, I bet that many kids have been driving in the city. This was just the first to get caught. Just like smoking and having babies, kids are getting younger and younger when they begin, this is the same when considering driving.
At least Muncie made the news, nothing seems to happen there. I bet people were jealous of the news Frankfort got last week. Good for Muncie!
Below is the Muncie StarPress story on this amazing seven-year-old:
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Seven-year-old driver takes joy ride to mall
By RICK YENCER • ryencer@muncie.gannett.com • June 25, 2008
MUNCIE -- Matthew Sands had to look twice at the driver of a red Geo Tracker that passed him on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Tuesday morning.
"He was awful small to be driving," said Sands of Hartford City.
Sands and Carvin Mafatau, another driver who called 911, followed what appeared to be a small child, who barely could be seen above the dashboard, driving down the street before turning into the Muncie Mall.
Mafatau told police he tried to stop the vehicle as the 7-year-old boy crashed into a bush near Burger King west of the mall. The boy drove off around the mall and then crashed into a bush and tree near Outback Steakhouse when Sands stopped his car and tried to get the keys out of the Geo.
The boy then threw the vehicle in reverse and backed into Sands' car in the mall drive off Granville Avenue.
Sands got the keys out of the car and saw the boy behind the wheel.
County Sheriff's Capt. Mike Scroggins was the first to arrive, and was expecting a teenager behind the wheel on a joyride. It was something the veteran law enforcement officer had never seen in 22 years.
Police Lt. Steve Cox and other officers arrived and were just amazed that a 7-year-old child was behind the wheel.
"It as incredible he made it this far," said Cox, explaining he drove from Waid Avenue on MLK to the mall.
Police Sgt. Linda Cook, who heads MPD's child protection team, said the boy and his mother were staying with the boy's grandmother, Lindy Smeltzer, who was the owner of the Geo.
The boy is a special needs student at Muncie schools, and was being watched by the grandmother, Cook said, because the mother had health problems and was sleeping.
"(Smeltzer) has just given the boy medicine and had laid down with him to take a nap," said Cook.
The next call Smeltzer got was from 911 just after 9 a.m. asking her if she knew where her Geo Tracker was.
When the boy was asked how he learned to drive, Cook said he played a Play Station game.
Smeltzer, who lives in the 2100 block of North Macedonia Avenue, only said her grandson wanted to see his brother and had never attempted to drive previously. She declined to identify her daughter, identified by police as Lindy Smeltzer II.
Police investigated the call as a child neglect case, but made no arrests.
Child protective services did talk to the family, Cook said, and devised a safety plan to make sure the boy does not get his hands on the keys again.
Cook added the boy did wander away from home a couple years ago and CPS was involved.
"They will keep an eye on the family," said Cook, adding there would be home visits.
(Link to StarPress)
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