A youngster missed his mother, so he stole her car and hit the highway to find her. Motorists called in sightings of a child behind the wheel, and State Police began pursuit. Fortunately, the mother's 2007 Buick was equipped with Chevy's OnStar service, and the car was shut down in what was likely a coordinated law enforcement maneuver and seemingly safe. When the car coasted to a stop, the boy took off on foot and forced the police to chase him down.
It is never a safe choice to run from the police, and I am glad the child is ok.
However, the youngster was not immediately reunited with his mother and instead visited a juvenile detention center. I hope it is a brief stop, and he got to hug his mommy.
OnStar remotely disabled it, causing it to slowly cruise to a stop and collide with a guardrail near the 135-mile marker, Vetter said. The impact cause minor damage to the vehicle.
With the Encore stopped, the boy exited it and ran into some nearby woods, Vetter said. Troopers ran after him and caught him shortly thereafter.
The boy, who stands under 5 feet tall, told police he had taken his mother's car in hopes of driving to see her in Detroit, Vetter said. The boy had apparently been staying with relatives just prior.
