An 11 year old in Ohio decided YouTube University was the place to learn grand theft auto, and it went exactly how you would expect. The kid stole a car with his 8 and 12 year old friends riding shotgun after watching how to steal vehicles on YouTube. What followed was a police chase, a crash into a house, and a story that has parents everywhere checking their children's search histories.
The YouTube Educated Car Thief
According to Newburgh Heights Police, the 11 year old somehow managed to steal a Mazda using techniques he reportedly learned from watching YouTube tutorials. Let that sink in for a moment. A child who is not old enough to ride most roller coasters figured out how to hotwire a car from watching videos on the internet. He then picked up his 8 year old and 12 year old friends, and the three of them took off on what they apparently thought was going to be a casual joyride.
Police got an alert about the stolen Mazda and attempted to pull the vehicle over. But this tiny criminal had other plans. Instead of stopping, the 11 year old driver hit the gas and led officers on a pursuit through the streets. The chase ended when the young driver made a sharp left turn, lost control of the vehicle, and crashed straight into somebody's house.
The car crashed into a building during the police chase (Picture: Newburgh Heights Police Department)
The Homeowner Was Just Watching TV
The homeowner, Daniel Reilly, was watching TV when he heard a loud bang and a bunch of noise coming from outside his home. Thankfully nobody got hurt and the house only had minor damage, but imagine trying to explain that insurance claim. "Yes, an 11 year old who learned to steal cars on YouTube crashed into my living room wall." The adjuster would probably hang up the phone.
All three kids jumped out of the wrecked Mazda and tried running, but Police Chief John Majoy said officers caught them quickly. When they asked how an 11 year old knew how to steal a car, the kid admitted he learned from YouTube videos, which is absolutely wild and also a terrifying commentary on what children have access to online.
A Record Setting Pursuit For All The Wrong Reasons
Chief Majoy told reporters this has got to be a record for the youngest driver in a pursuit he has ever seen, and he has probably seen a lot of things in his career. The fact that an 11 year old was behind the wheel of a stolen car, leading police on a chase, with two passengers under 13 in the vehicle, is the kind of story that sounds like fiction until you see the police report.
The kids were released to their parents and now face juvenile charges for their YouTube inspired joyride gone wrong. This is proof that kids will literally learn anything on the internet, and parents need to check those search histories immediately. If your child is watching car theft tutorials instead of Minecraft videos, there is a conversation that needs to happen before the next family meeting takes place in a courtroom.
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