Boy, 7, Drives 20 Miles Trying to See His Dad

Reached speeds of 70 miles per hour, said a witness

A 7-year-old Michigan boy, clad in his pajamas, drove 20 miles in her mom's car before cops managed to bring him to a stop.

The unidentified boy told cops he wanted to see his father, but he was terrified and crying when cops managed to box in the Pontiac Sunfire and bring it to a stop early Monday, according to the Detroit Free Press. One witness said the boy knew how to use the brakes and even reached a speed of 70 miles per hour at times.

"He was crying and just kept saying he wanted to go to his dad's," Caseville Police Chief Jamie Learman told the paper. "That was pretty much it. He just wanted to go to his dad's."

The incident happened in Caseville, Michigan, about 100 miles north of Detroit, after 911 callers reported a very young and very erratic driver.

A 911 caller identifiedas "Kurt" said he saw the boy appear to stop and approached his car. But the kid put the car in reverse and raced down a side road, all of which was caught on the dispatch tape, according to the newspaper.

Learman was the cop who brought the boy to a halt by getting in front of him and hitting the brakes.

"I slowed down, he slowed down and eventually stopped," Learman said. "I'm just glad he didn't get hurt, and no one else got hurt," Learman said. "I can just imagine the stop signs and other things he didn't stop for. I'm just assuming a 7-year-old didn't follow the traffic laws."

Child welfare officials are looking into the case.

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