Reckless Driving and Public Danger at Age 12: Jérémie Steals a Car, Causes an Accident, and Flees

Title: Reckless Driving and Public Danger at Age 12: Jérémie Steals a Car, Causes an Accident, and Flees

Content:

Since Friday, November 28, 12-year-old Jérémie (name changed) had run away from home for the fifth time in a year, plunging his adoptive mother, Lizbeth, into deep concern. On Sunday morning, his escapades led him to steal a car, causing a collision in Rose-Hill and leaving behind a trail of distress and administrative complications.

On Sunday, November 30, the streets of Rose-Hill witnessed an unusual yet alarming incident. A 12-year-old boy, Jérémie, stole a car and drove at high speed through the busy streets of the city, creating a clear danger before committing a hit-and-run. His actions resembled a scene from the video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA).

Jérémie, a resident of Basses Plaines-Wilhems, had run away since Friday, November 28. His adoptive mother, Lizbeth (name changed), expressed her anguish over the recurring events: "He said he was going to feed the dog, but when I looked for him, I couldn't find him. I started to panic; we went to the police to report that he was missing. Since then, I haven't slept at all, every time we go outside to see if he's coming back, we hoped he would return, but he never did." The family, who has raised him since he was 10 months old, noted that this was his fifth runaway in a year, and the police had been notified each time.

On Sunday morning, around 8 a.m., Jérémie appeared in a store in La Louise, Quatre-Bornes, claiming to be 17 years old and looking for a seasonal job. "He told the owner he was 17 and looking for work in the store, the owner asked him to sit while he called his parents to confirm his age," his mother recounts.

Taking advantage of this distraction, the boy snatched a handbag from a 20-year-old employee and then seized the car keys. The girl's father explained: "He waited for my daughter to step out to get documents, and the boy went into the office and took the car keys." The girl only realized her vehicle was missing, parked in the back, later due to a high volume of deliveries.

Around 9:30 a.m., the young driver’s spree ended in Rose-Hill when he collided with another car carrying three family members. The driver, aged 27, reported: "He was coming extremely fast, didn't stop at the white line, continued driving, and hit us." The driver and his mother were injured, with the man hurt in his left shoulder and his mother at his side. When he got out to confront the reckless driver, the young man noted that the driver appeared to be alone and looked between 16 and 17 years old, unaware of his actual age. "My mom got hurt on her side, and I got hurt on my shoulder," the driver said.

Alerted to this hit-and-run case, the police managed to intercept the stolen car in Beau-Bassin thanks to Safe City cameras and apprehend Jérémie. His adoptive parents were called to the station. After a visit to the hospital, the boy was taken in by the Child Development Unit (CDU), which directed him to a rehabilitation center.

Despair and Complexities

Jérémie's adoptive mother expressed her exhaustion and hope: "I’m very tired, I hope they will take good care of him, when he returns, he becomes a good boy, I wish him well... I am doing this for his benefit." She emphasizes the seriousness of his actions, fearing the worst: "If he comes back and steals another car, he could hurt someone, that will always weigh on my conscience."

Regarding Jérémie's ability to drive an automatic car, she expressed her surprise: "His father never taught him to drive; he watched how his dad drives, and then he drove the same way. Driving an automatic car isn’t hard." She also insists that the child was not influenced by bad company, stating: "His father is his friend; he guides him well. I am worried, I don’t know how he ended up like this."

Meanwhile, the owners of the two damaged vehicles are facing significant insurance difficulties. The owner of the stolen car laments the complexity of the administrative procedures: "Until now, we haven’t received any insurance, we’re facing a lot of problems... The police have complicated my life; I have to go from Rose-Hill to Quatre-Bornes, then to Beau-Bassin. We have suffered trying to buy a car; this time I need to get a big car for my daughter to go to work."