Ohio: 8-year-old girl found unharmed after driving her mother’s SUV 11 miles to a Target store – ramming a mailbox on the way | US News
An eight-year-old girl has returned home safely after driving her mother’s car to a discount store more than 18 kilometers away while her family and police searched for her.
The girl, from Bedford, Ohio, admitted to officers that she hit a mailbox while driving to the Target store in neighboring Bainbridge, according to a police report obtained by the U.S. news program Today.
Bedford police were alerted after receiving an emergency call from her family shortly before 9 a.m. local time on Sunday.
The family said the girl had not been seen for nearly two hours.
A neighbor gave relatives doorbell camera footage showing the young girl getting into a 2020 Nissan Rogue SUV alone and driving away at around 7 a.m. local time.
Police searched for the missing child before officers in neighboring Bainbridge discovered the vehicle in the parking lot of the Target store.
According to the police report, the store is located just over 11 miles southwest of the child’s home.
Google Maps estimates that the fastest route would take an adult about 25 minutes, obeying the average speed limit.
Read more US news:
Sean “Diddy” Combs arrested
Jane’s Addiction cancel tour after argument on stage
Police shoot man who didn’t pay subway fare
Police officers found the girl at Target and her family came to pick her and the car up.
Bedford police wrote in a Facebook post after the incident: “That’s right, an 8-year-old took mom’s car this morning and drove to Target in Bainbridge to do some shopping.”
“Thankfully, she made it out and was found immediately by Bainbridge police. She is now safely home. I’m not sure what she bought or if she was even able to use her Target app to save 5%. We let her finish her Frappuccino. We mean no harm.”
One Facebook user responded: “I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty impressed. There are some adults who can’t make that drive alone, let alone hit a mailbox.”