ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Police in Michigan chased a stolen construction forklift being driven by a 12-year-old boy on Saturday. The child recklessly drove the piece of equipment for more than an hour, striking several vehicles along his path, before he was taken into custody.
On Saturday at about 6:45 p.m., officers with the Ann Arbor Police Department were dispatched to Forsyth Middle School, located at 1564 Newport Road, after receiving a report of a juvenile trying to steal a Construction Genie GTH-636 Telehandler with a forklift, CBS News Detroit reported.
Responding officers located the piece of construction machinery traveling southbound on Brooks Street near Pearl Street at about 6:48 p.m. Ann Arbor officers tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver failed to yield and a slow speed pursuit ensued.
The speed of the chase was about 15 to 20 mph hour and continued as the driver, which turned out to be a 12-year-old boy, struck approximately 10 parked cars.
At about 7:18 p.m., deputies with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office picked up the chase once the boy drove the forklift northbound on Nixon Road and crossed the M-14 bridge, according to CBS Detroit.
Finally, law enforcement authorities said the Construction Genie came to a stop at about 7:53 p.m. near M-14 and Gotfredson and the boy was taken into custody.
Fortunately, no one was injured during the pursuit.
Law enforcement authorities said the boy managed to operate the piece of construction machinery with a key that was hidden inside the cab. No further details were immediately available.
