RIVERVIEW FL — It’s not easy for some parents to hand their teenager the keys. However, for a Riverview mother, authorities say she allowed her 11-year-old child to get behind the wheel — a decision that ended with a crash at a local gas station.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, 41-year-old Carribean Myers was arrested after deputies said she allowed her 11-year-old child to drive a vehicle from their residence to a 7-Eleven on Gordon Road in Riverview. Deputies responded to the gas station at approximately 8:35 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, after the child crashed the vehicle into a concrete traffic barrier.
Investigators said Myers was riding as a passenger and supervising the child while the child drove. When attempting to stop at the gas station, the child reportedly mistook the gas pedal for the brake and struck the barrier. No injuries were reported, but authorities said the vehicle and building sustained damage.
During the investigation, deputies discovered Myers had not had a valid driver’s license since July 13. HCSO also said she had previously allowed her underage children to drive without a valid license.
“Putting an 11-year-old behind the wheel is reckless and could have ended in tragedy,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “This mother made a dangerous decision that put her child and everyone around them at risk.”
Myers was arrested and charged with child abuse and permitting an unauthorized minor to drive. The investigation remains active. Nothing further at this time.
SOURCE: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
