Police in Michigan have arrested a 12-year-old boy who they said led them on a wacky, lengthy chase in a stolen forklift.
Authorities were called to Forsythe Middle School at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday on a report of a stolen forklift.
Officers found the forklift heading south through the city and gave chase at speeds between 15 and 20 mph.
While in pursuit, the boy hit at least ten parked vehicles with the nearly 35,000-pound forklift.
The driver, later identified only as a 12-year-old Ann Arbor boy, finally stopped the Construction Genie GTH-636 Telehandler and was taken into custody at about 8 p.m.
Police in Michigan have arrested a 12-year-old boy who they said led them on a lengthy chase in a stolen forklift
Dashcam video shows an officer saying he’s ‘trying to stop’ the boy but ‘he’s still going.’
The whole time, he drove the forklift without any lights on, Ann Arbor police officials said.
‘Multiple officers initiated a pursuit of the vehicle at speeds of 15 to 20mph with emergency lights and sirens on,’ police shared.
‘During the pursuit, the driver of the stolen vehicle traveled through the Georgetown Boulevard neighborhood, striking approximately ten parked vehicles.’
They finally stopped chasing him after a half hour as he drove across a local bridge.
‘At that time deputies with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office picked up the pursuit and followed the vehicle until the driver stopped at approximately 7:53pm in the area of M-14 and Gotfredson,’ police stated.
Police later discovered the forklift had been left unlocked with a key hidden in the cab.
‘This was a very dangerous situation that could’ve easily ended with serious injuries,’ police added.
Authorities were called to Forsythe Middle School at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday on a report of a stolen forklift
In this image taken from video provided by the Ann Arbor Police Department, a patrol car chases a stolen forklift driving through the streets of Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Police say the forklift was being driven by a 12-year-old boy
The 12-year-old had stolen the forklift from Forsythe Middle School
Officers found the forklift heading south through the city and gave chase at speeds between 15 and 20 mph
No one was hurt in the incident, which took place the evening of the Michigan-Ohio State college football game.
The 12-year-old driver was later booked at the Washtenaw County Youth Center.
A spokesperson for Ann Arbor schools said the forklift is at the school currently to work on renovations.
The contest is routinely a destination event for tourists and draws 100,000 to Ann Arbor’s Michigan Stadium every year.
Police are still investigating the incident as a crime.