13-year-old boy takes family car, sparks police chase in South Pasadena. His parent got a ticket
- A 13-year-old sped his parent’s car through South Pasadena streets Tuesday morning, failing to pull over for a police siren before eventually stopping.
- The driver and one of his parents were cited for reckless evading.
He might not be old enough to play the game Grand Theft Auto V, but that didn’t stop a 13-year-old from taking his parent’s car and leading South Pasadena police on a brief chase before pulling over, authorities said.
According to police, the driver of an older-model blue Toyota Corolla committed a pair of moving violations around 2:55 a.m. Tuesday, triggering a traffic stop.
But instead of stopping, police say, the driver raced away from the officer, hitting speeds of 65 mph.
The car eventually stopped in Highland Park, about 1½ miles from where the chase began.
Who are the problem drivers? All this attention on license renewal testing for seniors ignores the problems caused by phone use and teen drivers.
Officers discovered the driver was a teenager who had taken his parent’s vehicle without permission. He also had a 13-year-old passenger with him.
Police contacted the parents of both teens, who picked up their children.
The driver and one of his parents were cited for reckless evading.
They have an upcoming court appearance with the Los Angeles County Probation Citation Diversion Program.
South Pasadena police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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