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[Ripclawe]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010601195_pf.html

The word "miracle" can be overused. But when a 6-year-old boy drives a Ford Taurus for more than 10 miles, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic, slams into a utility pole and no one gets hurt, well, maybe miracle is appropriate.

That's what happened on Virginia's Northern Neck on Monday morning, when the first-grader missed his school bus and decided to drive his mom's car to elementary school so he wouldn't miss breakfast and PE, authorities said yesterday.

"It's a miracle that somebody didn't get killed," said Northumberland County Sheriff Chuck Wilkins, of the boy's drive along Northumberland Highway. "We're a rural area, but if we do have a rush hour, that's it."

The boy's parents were later arrested and charged with felony child endangerment. Wilkins said the father, David E. Dodson, 40, was under court order not to leave the 6-year-old and his 4-year-old brother alone with their mother, Jacqulyn D. Waltman, 26, at their home in the town of Wicomico Church. But Dodson left for work at 6:30 a.m., and Waltman was still asleep when the 6-year-old missed the bus and then drove off at 7:40 a.m. for Northumberland Elementary School, Wilkins said.

Sgt. Thomas A. Cunningham Jr. of the Virginia State Police said the boy is not particularly tall for his age and was "possibly standing" while driving the Taurus. Wilkins said the child had an idea about how to start, propel and steer the car from playing video games.

Once he got going, the boy navigated his way along Route 200 (Dupont Highway), across a bridge spanning the Great Wicomico River, and then turned west on Northumberland Highway, which is about 140 miles from Washington. He made it through two intersections, Wilkins said, and then was "doing a pretty great rate of speed" as he passed cars on the two-lane road while not wearing a seat belt.

Other drivers noticed. Two people called the sheriff's office, one called the state police, and at least one motorist "shouted at him to get off the road when he came to an intersection," Cunningham said.

The boy had gone 10.4 miles, the sheriff said, and was about a mile and a half from his school in Heathsville when he decided to cross the double line and pass again. But this time, he saw a tractor-trailer coming toward him in the other lane.

He quickly whipped the car back into his lane, but, unlike in video games, the car swerved out of control, skidded into an embankment and then struck a utility pole on the rear passenger side. Wilkins said the force of the impact cracked a wooden beam on top of the utility pole. The Taurus was severely damaged, if not totaled, Cunningham said.

Northumberland deputies Jeff VanLandingham and Roger Briney arrived first. "He was crying, hysterical," Briney said, "not from any pain -- he was just adrenalined up on fright." Briney said another motorist said she was driving 60 mph when the boy zoomed past her.

Briney said he unzipped the boy's coat to check for injuries, found none and zipped it back up -- and the boy turned and walked away. "I said, 'Where are you going?' " Briney said. "He said: 'My school's right over there. I'm late.' I said, 'We'll get you to school.' "

"He was just bound and determined," Wilkins said, "he did not want to miss breakfast and PE." The meal "may have been his primary goal," the sheriff said. The sheriff said the boy told him that he had trained on video games such as Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam.

The boy was taken to Rappahannock General Hospital, was released and was back in school for PE that afternoon. He was not identified because he is, well, 6. The boy and his brother were placed in foster care; his mother was in jail, officials said.

"We were just very blessed that it ended the way it did," said Theresa Larsen, assistant principal at the boy's school. Larsen said the school's principal, Arnette Butler, asked the boy, "What were you thinking?" He looked up and told her, "I just had to get to school."

 

[Jacobi]

the curse of automatic cars

 

[Ace 8095]

If the boy had played games with more realistic driving physics he could have made it.

 

[hellclerk]

David E. Dodson, 40...

...Jacqulyn D. Waltman, 26

THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG HERE

 

[TheOMan]

Wooooooow....

Also "but, unlike in video games, the car swerved out of control,"

Clearly, this journalist doesn't play vidjagamz.

6 years old. Man. This kid might be a genius.

Wait...what is a SIX YEAR OLD doing playing GRAND THEFT AUTO???

Spoiler

Should have played Gran Turismo

Wonder if he'll become a rally car driver...

 

[NovemberMike]

Too much GTA, not enough GT.

 

[Stahsky]

all this and he probably won't even get through college!

 

[watervengeance]

Too much GTA, not enough GT.

Word.

 

[Undubbed]

Well, any 6 year old that has the mental capacity to drive a car that far let alone even know how to put the keys in the ignition and drive is a potential genius in my book. Despite that he drove horribly of course

 

[skybaby]

Now where are the detractors to the more realistic driving in GTA4? :lol

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Too much GTA, not enough Forza.

Fixed.

Forza would've taught him the consequences of crashing.

Amidst all the jokes, it should be noted that the kid was probably desperate to get to school because it was the only decent meal he would get all day.

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG HERE

Not really

(40 / 2) + 7 = 27

 

[Onemic]

Fixed.

Forza would've taught him the consequences of crashing.

Amidst all the jokes, it should be noted that the kid was probably desperate to get to school because it was the only decent meal he would get all day.

GT would have taught him how to properly steer.

 

[Nabs]

Well, he's no Latarian Milton.

 

[Mau ®]

I also found this interesting:

Wilkins said the father, David E. Dodson, 40, was under court order not to leave the 6-year-old and his 4-year-old brother alone with their mother, Jacqulyn D. Waltman, 26, at their home in the town of Wicomico Church.

Is the mother a particular danger to the kids?

 

[Undubbed]

I also found this interesting:



Is the mother a particular danger to the kids?

Probably doin' crazy shit like teaching her kindergarten age kids how to drive :/

 

[RBH]

Well, he's no Latarian Milton.

 

[Witchfinder General]

Isn't that cute, a baby driving a car.

...


And look there's a dog driving a bus.

 

[nyong]

That mother should lose custody of her children forever. Definitely an unfit mother....

Spoiler

Who the hell buys their kid Monster Truck Jam???

 

[oneHeero]

6? Are 6yr olds tall enough to reach the pedals and see over the wheel? Come on.

 

[btkadams]

i definitely did not have the cajones to do that when i was that age. hell when i was 16 i was scared shitless behind the wheel.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Not really

(40 / 2) + 7 = 27

Well, she's under that only by a year, but a six year old son means
(34 / 2) + 7 = 24
So she was four years under the weirdness cap when she was tapped.
Assuming they are his kids, mind.

 

[Burai]

6? Are 6yr olds tall enough to reach the pedals and see over the wheel? Come on.

Because Americans drive pussy automatics, there'd be no need to do any of that. Just put it in drive, grab the wheel and off you go until you eventually hit something.

If this had been in Britain he wouldn't have even been able to put it in gear.

 

[trinest]

Fixed.

Forza would've taught him the consequences of crashing.

Amidst all the jokes, it should be noted that the kid was probably desperate to get to school because it was the only decent meal he would get all day.

and GTA teaches that driving is fun.

 

[gblues]

Because Americans drive pussy automatics, there'd be no need to do any of that. Just put it in drive, grab the wheel and off you go until you eventually hit something.

If this had been in Britain he wouldn't have even been able to put it in gear.

Use the wand of power!

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

monster truck rally?

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

GT would have taught him how to properly steer.

QFT :lol

 

[CygnusXS]

Fuck, imagine if he played Burnout.

 

[Tornado Condor]

If the boy had played games with more realistic driving physics he could have made it.

just like GTA IV amirite or amirite?

 

[Zyzyxxz]

That kid is really driven to learn.

 

[TheHeretic]

This kid and the shotgun wielding 4 year old should get together and commit a series of heists. No jury would convict them.

 

[tri_willy]

Fujiwara Takumi

 

[HylianTom]

Get that kid onto Top Gear to drive the Reasonably Priced Car. I'd like to see how he does. :lol