In a scenario straight out of a fever dream (or perhaps a particularly audacious episode of Power Wheels Playhouse), the UK’s North Yorkshire Police recently apprehended their most pint-sized pilot yet: an 11-year-old boy, of all people, behind the wheel of a BMW SUV, casually towing a reportedly stolen trailer down a major highway like it’s a stroll in the park. Classic.
The event unfolded on Thursday, March 7, prompting police dispatch after receiving a call regarding the theft of a trailer from a camping site near the town of Thirsk, north of York. The tow vehicle, a black BMW X5, was swiftly identified.
Officers eventually located the SUV, which was utilizing fake license plates, as reported by The Guardian. They trailed the SUV as it merged onto the M1 at Hook Moor, near Leeds. Eventually, police stopped the vehicle 45 minutes after the initial theft of the trailer, and were shocked by what they found inside.
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“Nothing prepared us for finding the schoolboy sat at the wheel,” a spokesperson for the North Yorkshire Police said. “A search of the car also revealed equipment typically used by suspects to carry out thefts and a selection of vehicle registration plates.”
The boy was arrested on suspicion of a number of charges, including theft, burglary, and going equipped for theft. He is also suspected of offenses related to his stint behind the wheel of the BMW, including dangerous driving.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, and the trailer’s rightful owners have been notified that their property was found. Police say there has been an increase in similar thefts in recent months, and are urging trailer owners to install security measures, such as tracking devices.
North Yorkshire Police say they are continuing their investigation into this particular incident, but that the boy who was behind the wheel of the X5 has been released on conditional bail.