Child driving car: Police records parents' statements

LANGKAWI - Police have recorded statements from the parents of a six-year-old child who was driving a vehicle that crashed into a streetlight at Jalan Bukit Tangga, Simpang Kenyum, Langkawi on Tuesday night.

Langkawi district police chief Assistant Commissioner Shariman Ashari said the parents aged 22 and 28 appeared at the Langkawi district police headquarters (IPD) Traffic Division and had their statements recorded at 2pm on Wednesday.

He said the police have yet to take a full statement from the child and his three-year old sibling as they were still traumatised of the incident.

“The child would only state he drove the car to go to the store to buy a toy car.

“Police have gained a new recording from the public the incident where the car was driven and swerved before crashing into a streetlight at Jalan Bukit Tangga,” he said on Wednesday.

When asked to comment on the incident involving the six-year-old boy who drove for over 2.5 kilometers before crashing, Shariman said that the child sustained injuries on his chin during the incident. The three-year-old passenger in the vehicle was identified as the boy's younger brother.

Shariman explained the mother had said she was with the children in the living room prior to the incident taking place.

“The mother had left to shower and after coming out she saw both children were missing from the living room.

“After searching throughout the house and not finding her children, she had gone to wake up her husband in the room and informed their sons were both missing,” he said.

He said the husband who was a convenience store owner wanted to take the car keys hung at the wall, but it was missing.

They had checked outside their home and found their car was no longer in front of the house.

Police investigations are still ongoing under Section 43 of the Road Transport Act 1987 and under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Child Act 2001, he said.