Oregon 6-year-old crashes family van on way to get food



by Jeff Thompson, KGW.com Staff

kgw.com

Posted on April 17, 2011 at 5:31 PM

Updated today at 6:48 PM

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – A 6-year-old Oregon boy crashed his family’s van into several mailboxes before colliding head-on with another driver Sunday, police said.

The boy said he was hungry and wanted to get some food, according to Oregon State Police Sergeant Robert Fenner.

Just after 7 a.m., emergency responders were called to a crash on Bristol Avenue, near Fargo Street, in the south suburbs of Klamath Falls.

Upon arrival Trooper Sabrina Criswell discovered one of the drivers involved was a boy who had taken his mother's Plymouth Voyager. He left the family's apartment, alone, and headed westbound on Bristol Avenue.

He hit some mailboxes and swerved into the eastbound lane, where he crashed head-on into a Dodge Dakota pickup.

Tammy J. Belau, 29, of Klamath Falls, was driving the pickup. She suffered minor injuries.

The boy was not injured. He was not using safety restraints.

He said he was hungry, so grabbed a roll of pennies from home and wanted to take the van to get some food, Fenner said. The boy’s name was not released.