TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A 12-year-old juvenile male is in custody after police say he stole a vehicle and led police on a pursuit overnight.
According to the Terre Haute Police Department, the incident occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, when officers witnessed two vehicles speeding on S. 7th Street near Hulman Street.
Police said the vehicles were seen going airborne as they crossed the intersection headed northbound on 7th. A pursuit ensued, police said one vehicle had a mechanical failure, causing the driver and passenger to jump out and flee on foot near the intersection of S. 7th Street and College Avenue.
Police reportedly located the driver and found him to be a 12-year-old boy who was taken to the Vigo County Juvenile Center. Police said the vehicle he’d been driving was stolen from another location in the city a short while earlier.
No other information has been released at this time regarding the ongoing investigation.
Police noted that Kia vehicles are increasingly being targeted by thieves, and encourage owners to ensure their vehicles are locked at all times, and suggest using secondary safety devices such as steering wheel locks.