Manchester man accused of letting 9-year-old behind wheel of truck in 'bizarre' crash
Davison Township and Davison City police officers search inside a Ford F-150 pickup truck after the vehicle knocked down a tree Friday, July 19 in the backyard of a Lapeer Road home.
Roberto Acosta | MLive.com
A 27-year-old Manchester man could face charges after police said a 9-year-old boy to sit on his lap behind the wheel of a pick-up truck and causing a roll-over crash in Davison Township near Flint last week, MLive reported.
Police said the "bizarre" crash occurred around 11:50 p.m. Friday in the 10000 block of Lapeer Road near M-15. The Ford F-150 was found resting on a 20-foot-tall pine tree after traveling through a yard, striking a ditch and knocking down a fence.
The Manchester man and other adult occupants of the truck — a 25-year-old Davison Township man, 28-year-old Davison Township woman and 24-year-old Davison Township woman — had been drinking alcohol at a backyard bonfire across the street prior to the crash, police said.
The 9-year-old boy was allowed to sit on the Manchester man's lap in the driver's seat when they started to leave, police said.
"The 9-year-old boy (decided) to mash the accelerator down to the floor," Davison Township police Chief Rick Freeman told MLive.
The truck careened through the yard, across the street, into a ditch and through a neighbor’s yard before coming to rest on the tree, MLive reported.
When authorities arrived, they found the rolled-over truck, which had blood stains in it, but no occupants. Police said the group went back across the street to the bonfire for about 30 minutes before calling paramedics because the 24-year-old woman had a leg injury that was bleeding uncontrollably.
Read the MLive story.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
a2gretta
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 : 1:26 p.m.
Words are missing from the first paragraph, I think.
Ann English
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 : 11:22 p.m.
"was allowed" could be the missing words.
evenyoubrutus
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 : 1:36 a.m.
I heard that dueling banjos was heard as far as half a mile away blaring from the vehicle stereo system as it careened off the road.
nickcarraweigh
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 : 12:24 a.m.
Some might call me suspicious, but personally I'd find it easier to believe some adult drove the truck over the tree while under the influence and this cockamamie story seemed good at the time. Anyway, did the 9-year old's parents hire the party to babysit the boy, or what was he doing there at that hour?
walker101
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 11:40 p.m.
Another recipient for the Darwin Award.
Brad
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 5:19 p.m.
At least they had a designated driver!
leezee
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 5:14 p.m.
And yet you need a license to catch a fish.
John
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 5:13 p.m.
Manchester proving to be why they are more like Texas everyday
Jenksy
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 4:20 p.m.
OK, I'm old... so there was a day when I drove my uncles car as a kid, on an empty street, in daylight, with one responsible adult teaching me the importance of caution and control... not a truck full of drunks near midnight.
An Arborigine
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 4:20 p.m.
"Hold my beer, I'm a gonna try somthin'"!
Gaila
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 10:45 p.m.
Git-R-Done..........
nonyo
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 4:05 p.m.
A 9 year old sitting on an adults lap could reach the accelerator?
OLDTIMER3
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 : 11:40 a.m.
My thoughts exactly.
Bob Zuruncol
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 3:45 p.m.
Sure. What could possibly go wrong?