Brothers, 3 and 5, Take Family Van On Joyride

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ROCHESTER, Ind. -- Two brothers, ages 3 and 5, took their mother's van on a 5-mile ride in northern Indiana, crossing a four-lane highway, before crashing into a pile of dirt and emerging unhurt, their family said.

The boys began Saturday morning as usual watching cartoons, but later took the van keys from their mother's purse and took off, their family said. Chase and Chandler Bright both sat in the drivers seat to steer the van, leaving their mother, Heather Bright, wondering how they reached the pedals.

"It amazes me," she said. "I was like, 'Oh my God, No! This cannot be happening.'"

The boys said they wanted to go visit their grandfather, a police accident report said.

The boys' other grandfather, Mike Bright, found them at the U.S. 31 bypass, where he said older brother Chase was careful and looked both ways before successfully crossing the four-lane highway some 45 miles south of South Bend.

But the boys later missed a turn onto a street, drove through a fence of a fertilizer business and crashed into a pile of dirt. They emerged without a bruise, and the van only had a flat tire and some minor damage.

Chase, who is fascinated with vehicles, apologized for wrecking the van, his mother said. And security at their home was tighter now.

"We got this house locked down like Fort Knox," she said. "I'm going to have to sleep with the keys around my neck now."

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/05/02/brothers_3_and_5_take_van_for_joyride/

drive a stick shift, is that a young child can't drive it.

I can see how easy it would happen