A 12-year-old boy drove his mother's Volkswagen Tiguan for 38 miles before crashing into a telegraph pole, knocking out power to a Dorset village. The incident occurred at 2am on August 14 on Horton Road in Horton Heath, Dorset, after the boy took the car from Salisbury, Wilts, in the middle of the night.
The vehicle veered off the 40mph road and ploughed into a telegraph pole, cutting electricity to local residents. The boy escaped with minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution, according to a Dorset Police spokesperson.
Residents Describe Chaos and Fear
Lorraine and Matthew Tricksey, who live at the crash site, were woken by the impact. Initially too scared to go outside, they waited for police to arrive, which took about 40 minutes. Mrs Tricksey described hearing laughter outside, which she compared to a drunken party in their front drive.
She said: 'We woke up suddenly at 2am, I think that was the impact. We suddenly realised we were in complete blackness, which was because the telegraph poles had been knocked down and our electricity knocked out. All we could hear outside was laughing; it sounded like a drunken party in our front drive, we weren't sure what to do because we didn't know who it was.'
The couple had to rely on a generator lent by the electric company, as their fridge, freezer, cooker, TV, and WiFi were all out of order. Mr Tricksey spent hours cleaning up spilled oil and debris. The wrecked Tiguan remained at the scene for two days, blocking their driveway, and they were told to contact Highways to remove it.
Police Investigation Underway
A Dorset Police spokesperson said: 'We received a report at 2.05am on August 14 of a single vehicle collision on Horton Road at Horton Heath involving a white Volkswagen Tiguan. Officers attended and it was reported that the occupant of the vehicle, a 12-year-old boy, had not sustained any serious injuries. He was taken to hospital by a third party as a precaution and is assisting officers with their investigation. No arrests have been made at this time and enquiries into the circumstances of this incident remain ongoing.'
Mrs Tricksey noted that the boy's mother was called to collect him, so he was not taken away in a police car. She also expressed concern about live wires at the scene, describing it as very dangerous. Engineers worked round the clock to re-erect the telegraph poles and re-wire the area.
Impact on Community
The crash caused significant disruption for local residents, who were left without power and had to clear up the aftermath. The couple's property was littered with car parts and broken trees, and they struggled to contact police for cleanup assistance. The incident highlights the dangers of underage driving and the potential for serious consequences, both for the driver and the community.
