California Highway Patrol said an officer encountered a “scene straight out of a movie” on March 27 at around 9:20 a.m. when a Volkswagen sedan was stopped in the middle of an intersection in Oroville, about 65 miles north of Sacramento.
“When instructed to move, the car unexpectedly sped off, leading to a short and erratic chase” that ended in a parking lot near Plumas Avenue Elementary School, CHP officials said in a Facebook post Wednesday.
According to police, the driver brought the car to a stop, then “abruptly reversed,” crashing into the officer’s patrol car. Both vehicles experienced minor damages.
But the real shock of the experience? The driver.
Police discovered that a 9-year-old boy was behind the wheel “on a mission to drive himself to school in his mother’s car,” police said in the Facebook post.
“We are relieved to report that no one was injured in this incident. The child was safely sent to school after the necessary authorities were alerted and the situation was documented,” police said.
Terry Dunn, a CHP official who had tried to pull the car over, told NBC affiliate KNVN in Chico, California, that he felt “just shock.”
“Several other officers showed up, and it was kind of one of those moments where no one really believed it. So, several other officers showed up on the scene just to see it was a 9-year-old driving the car,” he said.
After the child hit the patrol car, Dunn said he noticed a “head bobbin’ inside.”
“As I was approaching I could see a kid, which turned out to be a 9-year-old child, sticking his head out and saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m trying to get to school,’” Dunn said.
Police warned that the incident should be a reminder of the responsibility drivers carry on the road.
“The fact that this crash involved a child driver only heightens the need for awareness around vehicle security and the importance of imparting road safety knowledge to our younger generation,” the post read. “This incident underscores the critical need for all drivers to be licensed, educated, and aware of the risks of the road. It also serves as a wake-up call to secure our vehicles and educate our children on the dangers of unauthorized driving.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com