Eight year old boy crashes family van going for gas.

If for some reason you didn't read or hear about this event, here is a recap.
Seems like this young boy, takes the keys, starts the family van and decides to take it out to get fuel for his family. Outcome, boy crashes van.
About every six months or so, there is a story similiar to this that makes the news, and when it does, the same thoughts go through my mind.

Where were the parents or guardians when this occured? Why did this young child believe he/or she could drive the family car? How do children drive as far as they do without someone noticing that it looks like the vehicle is driving along by itself?

This most recent event answers at least one of the above questions. Dad was sleeping.
Where was Mom?
Dad fluffed it off saying that his son was just trying to do a favor by fueling up the family vehicle. Nice gesture, but bad follow through.

Okay so somehow the young lad manages to start the vehicle but if it is like most cars, doesn't the brake have to be depressed to shift the car into gear? Unless he is a NBA prospect, how does he do this?
To the boys credit he seemed to be going only five miles an hour. I have followed drivers who have gone that speed but they usually have white hair and are driving a car that is old enough to be considered an antique, and gets taken out of the garage or driveway once a month for errands. So no one else in this community is up early enough to see a creeping van and the boy hits a tree or pole.

My guess is that at some point Dad let this child ride on his lap and "drive" or puts him on the riding mower with him. Why else would a young lad or lass begin to think that they could drive a vehicle?

Suppose this young boy had made it the gas station. Making it to the gas station, and he manages some how to pull next to the pump?
Did he know how to pump gas? Did he also take the credit card out of Dad's wallet, to pay for the gas?
So many questions but so few answers.

I come from a large family and even the most mischevious of us would never have thought of taking the family car out before we had a drivers license.
Nope, never.
So where does this mindset begin?
Perhaps we will never know, but if you are out one day driving and notice a vehicle creeping along, with a just a top of a head showing through the windows, do the right thing.
Call 911, and get on another road.