9-Year-Old Girl's Driving Skills May Help Her Dad, 39, Avoid Felony Child-Abuse Charge
There’s no question that it’s illegal for a 9-year-old to get behind the wheel and drive in Michigan.
But that wasn’t the issue today in a court hearing in suburban Detroit concerning a felony child-abuse case. A judge must decide whether Shawn Weimer, 39, put his daughter at likely risk of death or serious injury when he had her drive home because he was apparently drunk, reported the Associated Press.
The problem is, from the prosecution’s standpoint, the 9-year-old girl was a better driver than some adults, never swerving out of her lane, even signaling her turns, according to a man who reported the situation to police and followed the Weimer van.
“Possible, yes. Likely, no,” Weimer’s lawyer, David Steingold, said after the conclusion of the hearing. As a driver, he noted, “this young girl was very proficient,” citing her expertise with small ATVs and mini motorcycles.
The judge must decide whether to proceed with the Brownstown Township case.
