In a surprising incident, an eight-year-old girl from Ohio drove her mother’s SUV nearly half an hour to a Target store, local authorities revealed. The young driver made the 24-minute trip on Sunday morning from Bedford, Ohio, to a Target in Bainbridge, as reported by Cleveland 19 News, citing police records.
Missing child and vehicle alert
The Bedford Police Department received a report of a missing child and vehicle around 9 a.m. that day. Authorities promptly issued a lookout for the girl and the SUV. Officers canvassed the neighborhood, asking residents for any clues about her whereabouts.
Neighbors provided access to their Ring doorbell cameras, which captured footage of the eight-year-old driving off by herself earlier that morning. Although officers were unable to locate her on the road, security footage showed the young girl navigating a nearby street, according to Cleveland 19 News. She was eventually found safely inside the Target store, where her family arrived to pick her up.
Girl found safe, police issue light-hearted statement
The Bedford Police Department later confirmed the child was unharmed and safely at home. The girl admitted to hitting a mailbox during her unexpected solo trip.
The department took a lighthearted approach in their Facebook statement: “Well, I’ve finally found a woman who’s in more of a hurry to shop at Target than my wife. More of a hurry by 8 years,” the post read. “That’s right, an 8-year-old took mommy’s car this morning and drove to Target in Bainbridge to shop. Thankfully, she made it and was immediately located by Bainbridge Police.”
In a playful addition, they wrote, “Not sure what she bought, or if she was even able to use her Target app to save 5%. We did let her finish her Frappuccino. We’re not mean.”
Local police said that the girl will not face criminal charges, as she is too young to be held legally responsible for her actions. While the incident ended safely, it left many in the community stunned by the girl’s ability to navigate a vehicle over such a long distance.