South Bend, IN – A 10-year-old boy in South Bend, Indiana, led police on a harrowing chase after stealing a family member’s SUV early Monday morning.
According to police reports the incident began around 7:30 a.m. in the River Park area when police received reports of the stolen vehicle. The young driver was spotted driving recklessly along Ironwood Drive, culminating in a hit-and-run at the intersection with Pleasant Street.
The pursuit continued beyond the city limits, with further damage reported, including a mailbox struck near Fellows Street and Jackson Road in St. Joseph County. Despite efforts by South Bend Police to stop the vehicle near Johnson Road and Fellows Street, the boy drove the SUV over the grass at St. Jude Catholic Church and into a pond on the church’s property. The child escaped from the vehicle by himself and was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
An investigation into this alarming incident is currently underway.
