Young Driver wants a license...

[lurker]

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Eager to get his driver's licence, a seven-year-old boy put on his seat belt and remembered to use his turn signal as he took his parents' pickup truck out for a spin, leading police on a slow pursuit around town.

Officers initially thought they were chasing a drunken driver Monday night. "He was weaving and all over the road. He couldn't stay in his lane," Officer Josh Laverette said.

Instead, when the truck finally stopped in front of a home after the 11-kilometre escapade, they found a second-grader, barely four feet tall, behind the wheel. The house belonged to his parents.

"He was so short he had to sit up close to the steering wheel," Laverette said. "Whenever he would brake, he would pick himself up with his left foot and stomp on the brake with his right."

The pickup had swerved through traffic and busy intersections, nearly hitting one car stopped at a stop light and barely missing at least five oncoming cars, Laverette said.

When he finally stopped and authorities talked to him, "He said the reason he took the vehicle was because he wanted to get his licence," Laverette said.

Nine years too early for the licence test, the boy was charged with driving without a licence and eluding police. He faces a hearing later this week in juvenile court.

Susan Daniel described the scene in the streets of Shelbyville, a town of about 14,000 residents 80 kilometres east of Nashville: "There were like probably five city cars and three county cars and a state trooper" all chasing the pickup.

"It blew my mind because we actually watched him put on his turn signal and turn, and we could see when he went past that he had seat belts on," Daniel said. "Then to come find out it was a child, I was really shocked."

[Highwayman]

All right, nobody talks about a pilot’s license in front of this kid.

[Lone Gunman]

Seven years old and wants his drivers license. I have to say he is better then a lot of citizens of Dodge seems they never want to get a drivers license.

[lurker]

They really do want to get a valid license but our current system doesn't seem to want to know who the illegal drivers are....

I'm for issuing drivers licenses simply because it will allow us to get more information from them than we now have (think: mugshot, finger prints, retna scan, residence, and income sources).... right now we have nada.

AND doing so will allow them to buy Liability Insurance to protect US.

[TexKan]

Sure they want a drivers license....... just like they want everything else we have in America. I don't wanna know their names I just want them to go home. I want them to quit getting handouts on tax dollars meant for real citizens and LEGAL immagrants with the real green card. I certainly don't want them to have any privlidges that should be reserved for those that are here because they followed the rules. I'll be go to hell if we should break the rules for them cause they came here like a thief in the night. Why make it easy for them to be illegal???....... we need to take our country back and boot thier asses home..............

[Lone Gunman]

That a girl Tk tell it like it is. I don't think too many people will disagree with ya.

[blondemoments]

Originally Posted by TexKan

Sure they want a drivers license....... just like they want everything else we have in America. I don't wanna know their names I just want them to go home. I want them to quit getting handouts on tax dollars meant for real citizens and LEGAL immagrants with the real green card. I certainly don't want them to have any privlidges that should be reserved for those that are here because they followed the rules. I'll be go to hell if we should break the rules for them cause they came here like a thief in the night. Why make it easy for them to be illegal???....... we need to take our country back and boot thier asses home..............

You tell em sis.

[K C Muffin]

You go girl!!!

[TexKan]

I love that warm feeling of support my family gives me...........