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Six-year-old drives family car to school, claims videogames taught him how photo

Another day, another "games made me do it" excuse. Fortunately, this one is actually pretty funny. A six-year-old Virginia boy was so intent on getting to school one morning that, after missing the school bus, he decided to help himself to the family sedan and drive there.

Unfortunately, he didn't make it to school on time, crashing the car instead. He only suffered minor injuries, and was even able to get to school, escorted there by authorities after a quick hospital evaluation. His parents were charged with child endangerment, and he and his brother are now in protective custody. 

The unnamed boy racer pulled off at least two 90 degree turns, passed several cars and ran off the two-way rural road a number of times before an embankment and utility pole put an end to his shenanigans. It is believed that he picked up a 2X Score Modifier but failed to achieve any Takedowns.

The boy claims he learned to drive playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam. Great to see that his parents let him play GTA, but I feel a bit cheated. I've been playing videogames for longer than he's been alive, and I can't drive at all. 

"This really is a story of miracles," said Sherrif Chuck Wilkins. "The Lord was with him, along with everybody else on the highway." 

The Lord has been charged with aiding and abetting a minor in a stolen vehicle.


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46 comments | showing # 1 to 46

CALkulon's Avatar
CALkulon at 01/07/2009 09:24
...six...gta...wuh?

Sounds like his Kudos would've been pretty good though.
CoRnJuLiOx's Avatar
CoRnJuLiOx at 01/07/2009 09:29
SIX YEARS OLD and already playing GTA?
FinalFist's Avatar
FinalFist at 01/07/2009 09:31
Ohhhh, that is quite droll. Good reporting, good reporting, chap.
Junta Baill's Avatar
Junta Baill at 01/07/2009 09:31
LOL ... omg that is the funniest article ever!
blehman's Avatar
blehman at 01/07/2009 09:32
Wow, great parenting there guys.

And "The Lord has been charged with aiding and abetting a minor in a stolen vehicle." kinda made me lol, just a lil bit.
masterninja's Avatar
masterninja at 01/07/2009 09:33
Well thankfully it wasn't mario kart or he would try throwing turtle shells out the window...
Generic Dude's Avatar
Generic Dude at 01/07/2009 09:34
At least he was trying to get TO school.
SephirothX's Avatar
SephirothX at 01/07/2009 09:40
If this turns into another excuse to bash video games I'm going to puke. Video games didnt give the kid access to the parents keys and car nor did video games let a six year old buy a 17+ level game!
zombiekiller13's Avatar
zombiekiller13 at 01/07/2009 09:44
6-years old and he's playing GTA. He's also left home alone to catch the bus (I'm guessing, since there is no mention of the parents offering to drive him to school), and has access to the keys to the family minivan.

...

...

Glad he and his brother were removed from their parents.
Druid 01's Avatar
Druid 01 at 01/07/2009 09:47
wow i just heard this story on my local philly radio station like 45 minutes ago, they didn't mention the video games aspect so i wasn't expecting to see it here too. lol
Chicken008's Avatar
Chicken008 at 01/07/2009 09:48
6? Fake!
LukienAkeela's Avatar
LukienAkeela at 01/07/2009 09:50
Hey now, let's put a positive spin on this thing. This could be the perfect example of how videogames and gov't education can coexist peacefully. That is some serious dedication to still make to school. Or maybe the kid was lying and really wanted to pick up hookers.
J03yyz's Avatar
J03yyz at 01/07/2009 09:52
Jim - your closing statement is amazing.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 01/07/2009 09:52
Well, it obviously didn't do a very good job of teaching him to drive.
Brando's Avatar
Brando at 01/07/2009 09:57
Obviously he wasn't playing GTA4, the cars handle terribly in that game. If we could master that, that im sure he would have made it to school without crashing to much.
Corak's Avatar
Corak at 01/07/2009 10:15
@brando

Maybe playing GTA was the reason he crashed. If he thought the driving there is how the car would handle that might have caused the crash. Maybe next time his parents can get him Turismo or Project Gotham, then he would be able to make it to school on time and not crash. Also they'd be seen as better parents, because if true, letting a 6 year old play GTA is fucking awful.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 01/07/2009 10:17
@ zombiekiller13: Since it happened in my state, it's been on the news a lot. Apparently he "couldn't wake his mother up" to get her to drive him to school, so he helped himself. From everything I've heard on the story, it sounds like mom enjoys the booze quite a bit.
mistic's Avatar
mistic at 01/07/2009 10:19
Well it sounds funny from a 6 year old, but I do actually notice that I get to know the Nordschleife a lot better for driving it in real life by practicing it in games :-)

When I plan a trip there, I drive at least 2 times a day in the month before that and when I get there I really notice that I know the track better then some of my "racingfriends" that don't practice it in games :-)

Luckily with my G25 and GTR-Evolution, the track and cars feel a lot more realistic then they are in Forza :-)
shawn is boring's Avatar
shawn is boring at 01/07/2009 10:27
I'm so sick of this Lord Character corrupting our youth
SnakeDude4Life's Avatar
SnakeDude4Life at 01/07/2009 10:28
From We are respectable negroes:

I have to ask: is this a white ign't or a black ign't? What do the clues tell us? I vote PWT aka Caucasian sub-human. Why? Let me share my inductive reasoning:

1. There was no interview or picture of the family. White folk tend to hide their shame, while ign'ts revel in it and grant interviews;

2. The child is driving a 2005 Taurus. This is a rather pedestrian vehicle. The fact that the car is only 3 years old implies it was purchased new. Ign'ts lease the most current SUV available and then have it repossessed within a year;

3. The child was desperate to go to school. He didn't drive around the 'hood. He knew that school was a good place because it had phys ed and breakfast. White ign't children know the value of an education;

4. The mother fell asleep and both kids were taken by child protective services. I propose that mom was tweaking on meth, the State found a house in utter disrepair, and it is in rural Virginia. These factors equal meth country. And, mom is white because ign'ts are not doing meth...yet;

5. Mom was named Jacqulyn and this could be a curve ball. Yes, the name is sufficiently ign't and "creative," but to my ear it screams more Caucasian cave dweller/PWT, i.e. sort of like Daisy or Tripp or Bristol, than black ign't. I could be wrong, perhaps this is a black ign't married to a PWT family? My, the progress brought by the age of Obama;

What do you, my respectable negro friends and allies, think? Is this an ign't family, a PWT family, or something all together different? What is the logic governing your conclusion?
MadBeagle01's Avatar
MadBeagle01 at 01/07/2009 11:39
I'm glad that some people are actually upset by this story. Last year when another preteen took his parents' car to drive to a game store in the middle of the night (and hit several other cars including a police vehicle), many posters seemed to think the kid was cool.
smang's Avatar
smang at 01/07/2009 11:40
"It is believed that he picked up a 2X Score Modifier but failed to achieve any Takedowns."

the lolcano has errupted yo.
fetusmilk's Avatar
fetusmilk at 01/07/2009 11:46
i loved the "no takedowns" part.
NihonTiger90's Avatar
NihonTiger90 at 01/07/2009 11:48
Old news. I put this in our newspaper yesterday. XD
wardrox's Avatar
wardrox at 01/07/2009 11:51
That kid is such a pro.
mix's Avatar
mix at 01/07/2009 11:56
"The Lord has been charged with aiding and abetting a minor in a stolen vehicle"

Holy shit did I laugh at that!!!
Mr Wrighty 987's Avatar
Mr Wrighty 987 at 01/07/2009 11:58
fuck this kid is 6 and can drive and heres me 24 and cant. well thats me down the shops tomorrow for Monster Truck Jam
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 01/07/2009 11:59
I live in Virginia. I don't find this story out of the ordinary at all.
F Whipple's Avatar
F Whipple at 01/07/2009 12:18
What kind of a parent lets their six-year-old play GTA?
TrailerParkJesus's Avatar
TrailerParkJesus at 01/07/2009 12:37
I knew the Lord had something to do with this. winner
Slique's Avatar
Slique at 01/07/2009 12:44
I always knew that Lord was a crafty one.
SakuChan's Avatar
SakuChan at 01/07/2009 12:55
HAHAHA wtf.
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 01/07/2009 13:06
Suck that, Lord.
TheBigFeel's Avatar
TheBigFeel at 01/07/2009 13:08
I love you Jim. Just.. don't get any ideas.
Ragewaar's Avatar
Ragewaar at 01/07/2009 13:51
"The Lord has been charged with aiding and abetting a minor in a stolen vehicle." - I LOL'd
atastysammich's Avatar
atastysammich at 01/07/2009 14:24
The surprise punchline got me. Well-played.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 01/07/2009 14:56
It makes sense that he and his brother are now in protective custody now.
RonBurgandy2010's Avatar
RonBurgandy2010 at 01/07/2009 15:52
Why are the kids in protective custody? The parents had nothing to do with anything! Besides, I know a couple of people who were playing M-games by age 6, and they made it this far in life OK.
elsiluro's Avatar
elsiluro at 01/07/2009 16:53
As a couple of other posters noted, the kids are probably in protective custody because if a 6 year old can get a hold of a car without being noticed, he was probably either alone, or not being paid attention to, both of which point to a neglectful household, not exactly a safe environment. I'm sure they are in protective custody temporarily, while the police investigate whether it's safe to return to kids to the household.
pascuz46's Avatar
pascuz46 at 01/07/2009 17:43
Yeah when I was six pretty sure I never played video games, my form of fun at that age was digging holes with my friend outside. GTA taught this kid how to drive? Im sure he didnt learn anything at all when he was sitting in the front seat watching his mommy and daddy driving. But he's six, so why the hell was he playing GTA!?
ZekeThePlumber's Avatar
ZekeThePlumber at 01/07/2009 18:31
Video games teach kids to go to school by any means possible. Ban this sick filth.
RAB's Avatar
RAB at 01/07/2009 18:45
that last line was fucking genius

thanks for that
007's Avatar
007 at 01/07/2009 20:53
Haha oh man, way to make a serious situation sound fucking hilarious.

I loled. Too hard.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 01/08/2009 01:25
I love your last line and your image. Seriously.
ajaxender's Avatar
ajaxender at 01/08/2009 01:46
Well, at least this proves that games dont really teach you how to drive :P.
Uniquenamehere's Avatar
Uniquenamehere at 01/08/2009 07:20
Im surprised your all surprised his allowed to play gta, my first online match playing duke nukem 3d am playing with a six year old and also get shouted at by another person in the room for swearing with the kid in the room WTF.
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