Remember when you were a teenager and you took your mom’s Chrysler LeBaron for a joy ride? Rolled it down the driveway in neutral, started it up down the street so nobody would hear? It didn’t matter if it was just a four–door family sedan…you had the need for speed and wanted to drive.
This past Friday morning two lanes of Hwy 401 were shut down due to a vehicle fire when a 14-year-old took his dad’s work van, hit another vehicle, ended up in the ditch and accidentally burned the vehicle to the ground. It’s easy to criticize the kid or the parents, but that could have been any of us when we were young and dumb.
A teenager, two years too young to even have a learners permit, took his dad’s Dodge Sprinter work van out for a ‘joy ride’ and headed for the highway. According to Ontario Provincial Police the 14-year-old (who even had a passenger in the van) rear-ended another vehicle near Mississauga Rd then lost control, careened off the roadway and ended up in the ditch where the dry grass contacted the hot exhaust and set the vehicle ablaze.
The teens took off on foot, hoping that pops and the cops would think the van had been stolen. But the OPP picked up the young offenders near the scene, who only had minor injuries. The insurance claim will likely be denied (unlicensed driver) and criminal charges are pending.
Parents, just think back to when you were a teenager. Remember how much you wanted to drive. The need for speed is strong at that age, and kids need a proper place to go fast…or they will find their own way.
Just remember, your local drag strip has a $40 test-and-tune every Friday night, and no license is required. Plus there’s always go-karting as an even safer alternative. Make sure to take your kids to the race track to experience speed in a safe environment,
