7-year-old Boy Charged With Driving Car

CASEVILLE (WWJ/AP) A 7-year-old Michigan boy who drove a car at high speeds for 20 miles has been charged with unlawful use of a vehicle.

Huron County Prosecutor Tim Rutkowski said Wednesday he will not seek to remove the boy from his home. He says he filed the juvenile charge to get the boy and his family some assistance, such as counseling.

Rutkowski said it's "strictly" to help the boy.

"When we petition a young person into court, it's not for punishment purposes," said Rutkowski. "Generally speaking, the general purpose for any juvenile case is to find out what it is that is going on in the young person's life to make them do whatever they did and how best do we treat that," Rutkowski told WWJ Newsradio 950.

Still in his pajamas, the boy led police on a 50 mile-an-hour chase before he managed to stop the car, driving nearly 20 miles.

"The young man when he was spoken to by the officers said they wanted to see his father," said Rutkowski. "He was leaving his residence which I believe is somewhere in Sheridan Township and driving nearly 20 miles over to Caseville, in Caseville Township, which is on the western part of our county."

It was not clear how the little boy may have acquired his driving skills. Rutkowski said it is also not clear whether the boy's parents could also face charges.

"It all depends. You know the information that we've received, thus far, doesn't suggest that at this point that it would rise to the level of being criminal in nature, but the investigation still is ongoing," said Rutkowski.

No one was hurt.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.