A seven-year-old boy took his parents car on a joyride so he could get himself a slushie.
There's nothing quite like the will of a hapless child who really, really wants something. We've all felt the pain of pleading for a McDonald's or a toy only to be met with a swift, persistent 'no'.
Daniel Wittenbach, a young boy from Ohio, took his desire for a slushie into his own hands. While his parents were asleep, he hopped into their SUV and took it for a spin.
He immediately drove into a spot of bother; specifically, he was driving the car the wrong way into oncoming traffic.
Onlookers quickly noticed the out-of-control vehicle. Nick Cox, who was en route to work at Queen City Harley Davidson in Fairfield, immediately leaped into action and chased down Daniel.
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Nick told WLWT: "It was just pure instinct. I saw someone that needed help and wanted to help him."
Daniel was spotted driving along Roosevelt Boulevard when he crossed the median and started driving the wrong way, eventually crashing into a Jeep.
Nick recalled: "I seen some lady to the left of me she was screaming that there was a kid driving the car. I went ahead and threw my car in park and I just take off chasing after the car."
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In dash-cam footage, Nick can be seen running after the car while the boy struggles to maintain control. When he reached the car, he tried to break the window so he could help stop the car, with Daniel having no idea how to even use the brakes.
Nick said: "It was just scary for everybody. I just kept trying to break the window, get the window open to try to get him out of the car... he looked very scared, very scared and confused, almost like he didn't know what was going on."
Fortunately, Daniel didn't crash into the Jeep at a high speed, and nobody was injured in the ordeal. He was only taken to a local hospital for observation and released a few hours later, his parents, Brian and Alesha Witenbach, said.
Brian said: "My wife and I are not bad parents, and I’m sure people are going to label us like that. It could happen to anyone. It scared the heck out of me, and I’m just thankful that he’s alive."
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No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the incident, but Butler County Children's Services has launched an investigation.
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Topics: US News
Cameron Frew