An eight-year-old who stole his parents’ car and drove it at 140kph (87mph) on the motorway told police he did it because he “just wanted to drive a little” – before bursting into tears.
The boy, who took the family’s automatic VW Golf from their home in the German town of Soest, was found in a lay-by on the A44 motorway. He had been heading towards the city of Dortmund.
Police found him after he stopped, put up a small warning triangle behind the car and turned on his hazard lights.
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He’d pulled over because driving so fast had made him feel “unwell”, according to the BBC.
His mother, who called the police when she found her son missing after midnight on Wednesday, said he had driven cars before on private property. He also rides bumper cars and go-karts.
Police confirmed nobody was hurt, and there was no damage to property.