11 Year Old Drives 150 Miles, Doesn't Hit a Single House

[Bearcat]

The part in bold is the really unbelievable part

Wearing shorts and a T-shirt, an 11-year-old Independence boy slipped from home early Tuesday and took the family car on a long jaunt through northern Missouri.

The child told authorities he wanted to get away because he was being bullied at school. His original destination was Bethany, in northwest Missouri, where he used to hunt with his father.

Eventually he wound up — uninjured — in Callao, in northeast Missouri, more than halfway across the state.

“He was darn lucky,” Macon County Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Johnston said.
Johnston said he got a call about 10:30 a.m. from the Callao postmaster, who said a boy was locked out of a car and wanted to talk.
“He just wanted some help,” Johnston said. “He was a very polite guy. He spoke highly of his parents. He spoke highly of his school. But he knew he was in trouble.”

The boy told Johnston he left home about 5:10 a.m. and drove at speeds as high as 85 mph.

He somehow reached Interstate 35 from his home and headed north, eventually stopping at a Casey's store in Bethany. He bought some chips and a soft drink there, and had second thoughts.

Aimless, he drove until he reached Macon County, in northeast Missouri.
From Bethany, authorities say, they think the boy headed east on U.S. 136 to Princeton, then south on U.S. 65 to Chillicothe, then east on U.S. 36 to Callao.

It's 92 miles north to Bethany. Then 135 miles southeast to Callao. And it's 150 miles from there to Independence.

The boy told authorities that he ran into some problems during the trip. At one point the 1995 Chevrolet ran out of gasoline. But some construction workers helped him out, and he was on his way again. Johnston said he didn't know who the workers were but wished they had called authorities instead.

Next, the boy stopped to use a rest room in Callao. When he returned, he found the car doors locked with the keys inside. So he hiked to the post office, asked for help and got in touch with the Macon County Sheriff's Department.

Johnston said he was amazed by the boy's journey. The boy told authorities that his only driving experience was operating a tractor a few times and backing the car out of the driveway.

Johnston said the relieved parents picked up their son about 3 p.m. in Macon County. They had filed a missing-person report in Independence, noting that the car and keys also were gone.

The parents could not be reached for comment.

The boy returned to school Wednesday in Independence.

School officials said they had not seen any indications of bullying.
“But we're taking the concern very seriously,” Associate Superintendent Patty Schumacher said. “We don't want a student to ever feel pushed into a corner or want to just take off.”



http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...al/9863406.htm

Wow - that's awesome.

Will somebody please invite him to sign up for a ChiefsPlanet account?

[morphius]

It doesn't surprise me in anyway that a kid that regularly drives tractors has no problem driving a car.

Of course the smack on your bro was a thing of beauty.

[Skip Towne]

I'll bet Slayer can do that someday.

[PHOG]

From looking at the map, it looks as if he was trying to make it back home.........but took a wrong turn.

[Hoover]

Classic

[HarryParatestes]

I have a 20 year old daughter who's had 5 wrecks since she got her license...!!

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Wow - that's awesome.

Will somebody please invite him to sign up for a ChiefsPlanet account?

I'm trying to spread the word in the Middle Schools, but I'll get to the elementary schools sooner or later.

[tyton75]

Even an 11year old boy drives better than a dirty Kansan!

[KCWolfman]

at title

[FloridaChief]

Rep for the title.

[Thig Lyfe]

That's amazing.