Mom was unconscious in backseat as 8-year-old drove her and toddler home, MO cops say

A mother was arrested after being accused of instructing her 8-year-old child to drive her and her toddler, according to Missouri authorities and news reports.

A St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer discovered the 8-year-old driving the wrong direction Monday, April 15, in downtown St. Louis, according to a statement of probable cause.

An investigation revealed the 8-year-old was driving because the 28-year-old woman “couldn’t drive the motor vehicle and instructed (the child) to drive the motor vehicle for her,” police said.

The mother, whom McClatchy News is not naming to protect the identity of her children, was discovered unconscious in the backseat of the vehicle, police said.

A 3-year-old was also found unsecured in the backseat, police said.

Police told KSDK the mother allowed her son to drive them to their East St. Louis home because she was “under the influence of alcohol and was tired.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the child was discovered driving on a downtown St. Louis street.

No injuries were reported.

Jail records show the mother was arrested at 4:30 a.m. Monday. She was charged with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk, court records show.

This story was originally published April 16, 2024 at 9:27 AM with the headline "Mom was unconscious in backseat as 8-year-old drove her and toddler home, MO cops say."