Most parents worry about their kids sneaking a cookie before dinner. In Oakland this week, one family had a much bigger problem on their hands.
Oakland police say two brothers, reportedly ages 7 and 4, got behind the wheel of their parents’ car Thursday morning and took it for an unauthorized joyride. It did not end well.
The crash happened around 9:30 a.m. near 35th and Mangels avenues, in the Dimond District of East Oakland, close to Interstate 580, according to NBC News. What started as a couple of kids messing around with the family car turned into a multi-vehicle crash that left an innocent bystander fighting for her life.
We’ve all heard the “kid backs the car into the mailbox” story from a family cookout. This one is on a different level entirely, and it’s a sobering reminder of just how quickly things can spiral when a car ends up in the wrong hands, literally.
What Happened
According to police, the boys were driving a white Toyota sedan, which multiple witnesses identified as a Toyota Camry, when they sideswiped a vehicle heading in the opposite direction and lost control. The out-of-control car then struck a woman in her 30s who was walking her dog. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the moments leading up to the crash, showing the woman walking her dog as the white sedan approached at a high rate of speed, reported KRON.
The Camry ultimately came to rest after crashing into the front yard of a nearby home, which is not exactly the parking job anyone signs up for when they hand over the car keys, except in this case nobody handed over anything.
The Aftermath
The woman was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and as of the latest reports her condition had not significantly improved. Her dog bolted from the scene in the chaos but was later located safe, which is at least one small bit of good news in an otherwise rough morning for everyone involved.
Both boys were taken to the hospital as well, listed in stable condition. Police have not released additional details about how the children gained access to the vehicle or what, if any, consequences the family may face.
Kids and Cars
There’s no getting around it: this is a heavy story dressed up as a fender bender. A car in the hands of a child under 10 is basically a two-ton question mark rolling down the street, and this time it landed on someone who had every right to expect a safe walk with her dog.
We hope she pulls through, and we hope this nudges every parent reading this to double-check where the keys are before heading back to bed.