A woman in Florida thought it would be a good idea to have her 11-year-old child drive her car to a 7-Eleven. That decision led to her child crashing the SUV into the barrier next to the convenience store. Deputies responded to the incident and promptly arrested the mother on multiple charges, including child abuse.
Myers had let her underage children drive in the past
On August 16 at around 8:35 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a silver SUV that had crashed into the concrete traffic barrier of a 7-Eleven on Gordon Road in Riverview, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The police found that the 11-year-old child, who has autism, had mistaken the gas pedal for the brake, causing the vehicle to collide with the wall. Bodycam footage shows the front left side of the SUV being smashed, and the deputy arresting the mother, 41-year-old Carribean Myers, who had been in the passenger seat of the car.
Fortunately, no one was injured, though the vehicle and the gas station sustained damage.
Upon further investigation, deputies learned that Myers had not possessed a valid driver’s license since July 13. She had previously allowed her underage children to drive without a valid driver’s license. Myers has been charged with one count of child abuse and another count of permitting an unauthorized minor to drive.
Sheriff Chad Chronister could not comprehend the mother’s decision to allow her underage child to drive. “Putting an 11-year-old behind the wheel is reckless and could have ended in tragedy,” he said. “This mother made a dangerous decision that put her child and everyone around them at risk.”
Chronister continued, “Parents have a responsibility to protect their children, not place them in situations that could get them or someone else seriously hurt. We will hold anyone accountable who puts a child in danger.”
Commenters on Facebook were shocked by the story. One wrote, “This is why it’s crazy to me that you have to get a license to fish but not to breed … make it make sense.”
