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ODGEN — A 7-year-old took a car for a joyride with his younger sister Sunday — to McDonald's.
Ogden police responded to a report about 8 a.m. Sunday of a reckless driver who was not staying in one lane. The report to police also said the driver appeared to be a young child.
"The vehicle traveled through multiple jurisdictions before Ogden police received the reckless driving complaint," police said Sunday.
When officers located the vehicle, they attempted a traffic stop, but the driver did not yield.
Police said, given "the totality of circumstances, including the suspected age of the driver and the heightened risk to public safety, officers deactivated their emergency equipment and chose not to pursue."
Ogden police later located the car, which had hit a parking strip and discovered the driver was a 7-year-old boy, accompanied by his 5-year-old sister.
The joyride from Clearfield to South Ogden came to a stop in the 700 block of 40th Street in Ogden.
Police said the two children were not injured. They were evaluated by a medical crew as a precaution. There were no reports of other people being injured by the joyride.
The car did, however, suffer some minor exterior damage, Ogden police said.
A woman claiming to be the mother of the child driver posted on Facebook, saying her car was totaled. She said her child took the car around 6 a.m. on Sunday and convinced his sister to go with him to McDonald's.
The mother wrote that she was "baffled, confused, panicked," but grateful the children were unharmed.
The police took both children to a police station, where the mother picked them up.
"Due to the driver's age, no charges are being pursued and the identities of the individuals involved will not be released," Ogden police said.
