California authorities stated that over the weekend, during a heavy rainstorm in Northern California, an 11-year-old child was driving a small truck recklessly and eventually flipped it over.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the incident occurred last Saturday morning at 10:40 am when they received multiple reports of a silver small truck driving recklessly in Butte County, north of Sacramento. Witnesses reported that the vehicle was weaving through lanes on Highway 99.
Law enforcement officers attempted to stop the truck, but the driver did not slow down, instead speeding up and entering the SR-70 highway. Unaware that the driver was a child, CHP officers briefly followed the truck, as Northern California was experiencing a winter storm at the time.
Due to the severe weather conditions, the pursuit was terminated after about 30 seconds in order to ensure public safety.
Around 11:40 am, the Chico Police Department informed CHP that the driver of the truck was an 11-year-old minor, as reported by the child’s guardian. At 11:47 am, CHP received another report that the child was back on the road, this time heading south on the SR-149 highway towards Oroville.
Law enforcement officers set up roadblocks at the intersection of Garden Drive and SR-70 highway, attempting to communicate with the child as the truck entered the ramp. However, after briefly stopping, the child accelerated and fled once again.
Officers then pursued the truck at about 50 miles per hour without activating lights or sirens to avoid startling the child, resulting in a high-speed chase.
Unable to make contact with the driver, officers continued to follow without risking acceleration.
The child drove west on Nelson Avenue for several miles, reaching speeds of 60 miles per hour at one point through a flooded section of road before losing control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn on the north side of the road.
California Highway Patrol stated that officers immediately assisted in rescuing the child from the vehicle and removing the front windshield. Fortunately, the minor was wearing a seatbelt and did not sustain any visible injuries but was still taken to a local hospital for precautionary measures.
CHP officials did not disclose the identity of the minor or the specific charges they will face. Under the SB439 law signed in 2018, arresting and prosecuting minors under the age of 12 is prohibited unless more serious charges like murder or rape are involved.
Just days before this dangerous chase and crash incident, another minor driving a stolen pickup truck was involved in a collision that resulted in the death of the owner who tried to prevent the theft by climbing into the truck bed, sparking a fire that caused power lines to fall and left hundreds of homes without electricity. The teenager has been sent to a juvenile detention center for involuntary manslaughter.