An 8-year-old Ohio girl is home safe after she took her mother’s car and drove to Target 25 minutes away as her family and police searched for her.
According to a Bedford Police Department service report obtained by TODAY.com, officers responded to a 911 call on Sept. 15 just before 9 a.m. after the family discovered the girl was missing.
They reported that the 8-year-old was last seen by the family nearly two hours earlier.
A neighbor gave the family and responding officers their Ring camera footage of the young girl getting into a 2020 Nissan Rogue by herself and driving off around 7 a.m.
Police in the area searched for the missing child before officers in neighboring Bainbridge spotted the car in a Target parking lot.
The Bainbridge Target is just over 11 miles southwest of the child’s home, according to the police report. Google Maps estimates the fastest route — following the average speed limit — would take an adult driver around 25 minutes.
Officers found the girl inside of the Target and her family came to pick her and the car up.
According to the report, the child said that she hit a mailbox on her way to the store.
On Facebook, the Bedford Police Department joked about the incident.
“Not sure what she bought or if she was even able to use her Target app to save 5%,” Bedford Police Dept. wrote in the post. “We did let her finish he Frappuccino. We’re not mean.”
Many commenters noted how impressed they were that a child that young could make the journey behind the wheel.
“This is the best out of all the kids driving stories,” wrote one commenter. “Long distance and she got everything correctly.”
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