Cheeseburger Craving Motivates Young Boy to Drive

The photo to the right is meant to be funny. The idea of a kid driving much less getting pulled over by a police officer before the age of 16 is absurd, right? Perhaps so in the case of the toddler in the photo. Perhaps not when it comes to a determined and hungry 8 year-old from East Palestine, Ohio who shall remain nameless given his status as a minor. His desire for a McDonald's cheeseburger was so intense he did some YouTube research on how to drive a car, procured his parents keys, loaded up his 4 year-old sister and began driving to retrieve his munchies.

Despite it being his first time out, You Tube apparently prepared him well. The 1.5 mile route to the drive through included several turns, several intersections where the boy lawfully stopped at red lights, and made it to his destination without incident. Upon placing his order and getting to the window, the McDonald's employees thought they were being pranked. Surely the parents are hiding in the back and their eyes were deceiving them. After further inspection and realizing the truth of the matter, police were called and Patrolman Jake Koehler was dispatched.

Koehler asked the boy, "What are you doing?"

As if it were not obviously, the boy replied "Me and my sister really wanted a cheeseburger." Further conversation led the officer to find out the YouTube component of the story which was impressive enough but he then realized this vehicle had no power steering (being an older model car) and that the kid really had to put some muscle into this food retrieval mission. 

Koehler concluded the interview with WKBN27 by stating, "Honest to God, I've been a patrolman for two years and I don't think I will have anything like this the rest of my career."

Police did not pursue the incident with any consequences for the child or the parents but odds are he will likely see some punishment at home. Thankfully no one was hurt and this adventure concluded with a happy albeit strange ending.