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Home Grand Theft Auto updates

Grand Theft Auto helps young girl save family

4:56 PM on 09.03.2008, Brad Nicholson 57 comments

Grand Theft Auto helps young girl save family photo
     Grand Theft Auto

Usually, whenever we read about a Grand Theft Auto game post-release, it’s in reference to a mess caused by the game's supposed negative influences. We hear the ranting and raving over its violence, and its negative effects on today’s youth. Thankfully, we can report something much more light-hearted today. According to The Times, Grand Theft Auto was the catalyst of some quick thinking by an 11-year-old girl that helped save her family after a car accident.

The girl, Audrey Plique, and her family were driving to visit family on August 27th. Around 9 P.M., Audrey’s father began to get light-headed. His unease led to striking a guardrail and flipping their Jeep Cherokee four times into a ditch. Audrey called the accident a “scary experience,” and I would happen to call it a “nightmare.”

While her family hung in their belt buckles, suffering from injuries, Audrey was immediately alert and sought help after dragging her mother out of the vehicle. Audrey’s mother claims that the reason her daughter was so alert was a direct result of the lesson that Grand Theft Auto teaches us – overturned cars catch on fire and detonate catastrophically.

I won’t argue physics with Audrey’s mother, but I’m glad to know that she and her family are safe. I’m glad there’s a least one story about GTA in society that turned out quite well.


Next page: More Grand Theft Auto stories




Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 09/03/2008 17:00
I really hope that the car did indeed catch fire and explode. After they were all safely out, of course.
Blind assassin's Avatar
Blind assassin at 09/03/2008 17:00
Wouldn't it be car mechanics as opposed to physics in relation to a car blowing up or not? Regardless, surviving a quadruple roll-over and having the presence of mind to counterbalance gaming hate is a damn fine feat. Especially since the girl was 11 years-old.
pendelton21's Avatar
pendelton21 at 09/03/2008 17:02
And, unfortunately, if anyone picks up this story, they'll be all "AAAAAARRRGH 11 YEAR OLD PLAYING GTA!!! AN OUTRAGE!!!"

But, amazing story, nontheless.
KyleGamgee's Avatar
KyleGamgee at 09/03/2008 17:03
Fear is a gift.
MrSadistic's Avatar
MrSadistic at 09/03/2008 17:03
son of a bitch
NotAZombie's Avatar
NotAZombie at 09/03/2008 17:08
@ Sadistic

*sigh* What happened now?
-PL-'s Avatar
-PL- at 09/03/2008 17:09
lolz, I personally don't see anything wrong with an 11 year old playing GTA. It's pretty insulting to think that kids that age can't determine fantasy from reality. I played the hell out of some MK2 back when I was 11, and I never turned into a dragon and bit somebody's torso off.
pendelton21's Avatar
pendelton21 at 09/03/2008 17:10
@-PL-:
But, that totally would've been fucking awesome.
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 09/03/2008 17:11
I've never played this game, but were it me, I would still try to pull everyone out of an overturned car strictly by virtue of it being an overturned car, not what could happen because it's overturned.
Magesx's Avatar
Magesx at 09/03/2008 17:11
Why is an 11 year old girl playing GTA?
DaedHead8's Avatar
DaedHead8 at 09/03/2008 17:19
Finally, GTA teaches kids something not related to hookers and blow.
Syn's Avatar
Syn at 09/03/2008 17:21
You don't get any points when you land upside down though.

At first I thought this was going to be a joke story, and expected it to be a Jim post. It's nice to have a story that doesn't follow the rest of the sheep.
Axion22's Avatar
Axion22 at 09/03/2008 17:23
@-PL-
It's all bullshit.

Kids with imaginary friends to researchers: "You know it's pretend, right?"

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/202632_imaginary07.html
-PL-'s Avatar
-PL- at 09/03/2008 17:35
Yeah, I think most of the problems revolving around videogames are just from stupid or mentally unstable people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions or mistakes. If you blame a video game, you're not crazy anymore, it's just the game's "spell" over you. It's pathetic.

I don't disagree with the ratings system, but I think it should be taken more as a suggestion rather than a restriction. I watched rated-R movies before I was 17. I think it would be a crime NOT to watch Die Hard before you're 18 years old. Games are exactly the same, a violent game isn't going to destroy the mind of a child. It might give a stupid kid "ideas", but that's just a stupid kid. It's only a matter of time before he does SOMETHING wrong.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 09/03/2008 17:51
"Audrey’s mother claims that the reason her daughter was so alert was a direct result of the lesson that Grand Theft Auto teaches us – overturned cars catch on fire and detonate catastrophically."

That's brilliant.
falinter's Avatar
falinter at 09/03/2008 17:53
I don't remember if the cars still do that anymore in GTA4. They should have kept it in if its been saving lives IRL.
DV2FOX's Avatar
DV2FOX at 09/03/2008 17:57
whoa...risky but godly they're saved!
Capn Birdseye's Avatar
Capn Birdseye at 09/03/2008 17:57
I think this is almost as bad as people blaming GTA for crimes they commit.

It just gives credence to the rest of those idiots - if GTA is responsible for this kid saving her family, then it MUST be able to cause people to beat kids to death and steal cabs, right?
Electro Lemon's Avatar
Electro Lemon at 09/03/2008 18:00
Immediately after escaping the car with her mother, her father, still in the car, turned completely greyscale and went into slow motion, until he awoke minutes later outside of the nearest hospital. Police are still looking for his $80 that escaped his pockets somehow.
Syn's Avatar
Syn at 09/03/2008 18:01
@falinter: yeah cars don't explode from being overturned in GTA4. It was a nice change
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 09/03/2008 18:11
This is cool. They didn't talk about GTA enough in the original article though.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 09/03/2008 18:12
I would like to add that I looked at pictures of the family that got in the wreck. They are all very ugly.
RICHARD BLOCKER's Avatar
RICHARD BLOCKER at 09/03/2008 18:12
".....flipping their Jeep Cherokee four times into a ditch. Audrey called the accident a “scary experience,” and I would happen to call it a “nightmare.”"

pssssh. Amateurs. Try 15 times and getting ejected. Yeah, I roll cars like muthafuckin dice.
Superfluous Moniker's Avatar
Superfluous Moniker at 09/03/2008 18:14
Pretty obvious 'lesson' that getting people out of an overturned car is a good idea. Some might even call it common sense. Unless the car actually blew up moments after an 11 year old physically dragged an adult out of it, I'm failing to see the point.

Maybe this mom is trying to justify that she lets her 11 year old play GTA?
Kyousuke Nanbu's Avatar
Kyousuke Nanbu at 09/03/2008 18:28
Good thing she didn't play GTAIV, cars don't blow up when you flip em in that one.

Regardless, I'm glad it all ended well.
SWE3tMadness's Avatar
SWE3tMadness at 09/03/2008 18:41
Even though it's a good story for once, how can you pin this on GTAIV alone? Pretty much every movie and/or TV serial made in the last fifty years showcases the same event (cars exploding when crashed).
Bioautographical's Avatar
Bioautographical at 09/03/2008 18:53
Hmmm. Okay.

First time a GTA article here has made me meh.
AlucardX24's Avatar
AlucardX24 at 09/03/2008 19:07
Next time I'm stuck in Manhattan, I'm going to throw someone out of their taxi ride and use it instead.
mix's Avatar
mix at 09/03/2008 19:20
Lol

This is more believable than some of the other claimed video game storieds
eternalplayer2345's Avatar
eternalplayer2345 at 09/03/2008 19:28
This is a great demonstration on how games can teach, Not so much for GTA for the kiddies.
Clockwork's Avatar
Clockwork at 09/03/2008 19:30
She's clearly playing the LAST gen version because in GTA IV they don't explode when they turn over.

My god, why don't you go out and buy a NEW-gen system? Dirty Pirate Hooker...

[/joke]
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 09/03/2008 20:00
Awesome
parrothead's Avatar
parrothead at 09/03/2008 20:00
This is great story, Jack Thompson just filed a lawsuit against that girls parents for letting her play GTA IV
Lithium's Avatar
Lithium at 09/03/2008 21:21
@Capn Birdseye

"I think this is almost as bad as people blaming GTA for crimes they commit.

It just gives credence to the rest of those idiots - if GTA is responsible for this kid saving her family, then it MUST be able to cause people to beat kids to death and steal cabs, right?"

I completely agree the parallels are all there this is just giving GTA credit based on a loosely connected refrence instead of blaming GTA for somthing based on a loosely connected refrence in the game.

If that didnt make sense its because i am very sleep deprived.
atastysammich's Avatar
atastysammich at 09/03/2008 21:46
I'm not sure how I feel about this. Clearly, the only way I'll know for sure is if I find the parents and ask them whether they made a well-informed decision as to whether letting their young daughter play (or maybe watch, I don't know) Grand Theft Auto was a good idea.

Eh, I'm glad the story had a happy ending, in any case.
MechaMonkey's Avatar
MechaMonkey at 09/03/2008 22:10
Clearly, this child has mutant powers. I have yet to meet an 11-year-old girl who could drag an adult woman from an overturned vehicle after being buffeted about as the car flipped 4 times.
-PL-'s Avatar
-PL- at 09/03/2008 22:12
There's kind of a difference between murdering somebody and blaming it on a video game, and rescuing your family and blaming it on a video game. I can't quite put my finger on how, but I'm positive there is a difference in there somewhere.
ace of knaves's Avatar
ace of knaves at 09/03/2008 23:18
If we're going to say games aren't responsible for murder, which they obviously aren't, then we shouldn't, on principle's sake, thank them for enabling this girl to save her family. It's the person, not the game.
loopholezero's Avatar
loopholezero at 09/04/2008 02:34
@DaedHead8: yeah, she dragged them out of the car, but this doesn't necessarily mean that she can't become a hooker and a cokehead, because of gta, too.
Capn Birdseye's Avatar
Capn Birdseye at 09/04/2008 02:56
@ Lithium - nah mate it made perfect sense ;)
hjd uk's Avatar
hjd uk at 09/04/2008 05:05
Um isnt GTA an 18 reated game?

And if she used GTA to rescue her parents she should have car-jacked a fireengine , ran over some pedestrians to get a hellicopter chase and then led them all to he crash site.
Batthink's Avatar
Batthink at 09/04/2008 06:04
@ Axion: LOL!

About time a positive effect of GTA is reported about. :O)
Jetsetlemming's Avatar
Jetsetlemming at 09/04/2008 11:44
You know as soon as she got her family out she jacked a new car to get them home.
BigBaby9199's Avatar
BigBaby9199 at 09/09/2008 00:35
i wish all kids could learn just the positives of gta
Gamer Named Tim's Avatar
Gamer Named Tim at 09/09/2008 16:45
Lessons learned in GTA:

1.) Overturned cars blow the fuck up
2.) You can actually kill hookers to get your money back
cakeland's Avatar
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cakeland's Avatar
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cakeland's Avatar
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