A Central Florida mother was arrested for letting her child drive, ending in a crash at a gas station.
Local deputies recently responded to a 7-Eleven on Gordon Road in Riverview, near Tampa, after a child crashed a vehicle into a concrete traffic barrier. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested the woman after she allowed her 11-year-old child to drive a vehicle.
Deputies learned that 41-year-old Carribean Myers allowed her 11-year-old child with autism, while under her supervision and as a passenger, to drive the vehicle from their residence to the gas station. While attempting to stop, the child mistook the gas pedal for the brake and crashed into the barrier.
No one was injured, according to local law enforcement. The vehicle and the building sustained damage.
During the investigation, deputies also discovered that Myers has not had a valid driver’s license since July 13, 2026, and had previously allowed her underage children to drive without a valid driver’s license.
“Putting an 11-year-old behind the wheel is reckless and could have ended in tragedy,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “This mother made a dangerous decision that put her child and everyone around them at risk. Parents have a responsibility to protect their children, not place them in situations that could get them or someone else seriously hurt. We will hold anyone accountable who puts a child in danger.”
According to HCSO, Myers was arrested on charges of Child Abuse and Permitting Unauthorized Minor to Drive.
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