It’s not easy being a parent, especially when your kids are at the age when they feel like despite not having graduated from school, they believe they can survive a plummet from the nest. This was exactly the case for a 15-year-old in Switzerland, who stole the family car and drove nearly 170 kilometres an hour down a motorway in what police later learned was a joy ride with his friends.

Expensive Mercedes commandeered by 15-year-old

According to a statement from the police, reported in 20 Minuten, on the night of May 29, 2023, a camera on the A1 motorway towards Bern caught a Mercedes CLA 250 hurtling past at high speed. On the stretch - where the speed limit is 100 - officers clocked the car going 168 kilometres an hour.

In the investigation that followed, the emergency services found that instead of dealing with a wannabe racer or inebriated felon, they were arresting some meddling kids. It turned out that a 15-year-old had taken his parent’s 64.000-franc car for a joy ride with his friends.

Pentecost was a busy weekend for Swiss police

Along with getting caught speeding, the authorities discovered that he and his friends had taken turns behind the wheel, meaning one of the suspects, who had not yet learnt to drive, was in control of a powerful hulk of German engineering on a busy motorway. All of them have now been referred to the youth prosecutor in Aarau.

A police spokesperson added that the incident topped off a very busy night for the emergency services, with 16 driving licences being suspended and confiscated on May 29 alone, because of drivers travelling under the “massive influence of alcohol or drugs.” The record holder for the night was a 36-year-old who was caught driving 214 kilometres an hour during the early hours.

Thumb image credit: ibrar.kunri / Shutterstock.com