11-year-old crashes parents' car during joyride

The youngster drove through an intersection, over a raised median barrier and into a light truck. Photo / File

An 11-year-old boy took two friends on a joyride through rural Auckland suburbs in his parents' car for up to an hour before crashing into a truck yesterday.

Concerned members of the public reported seeing the young driver and his two friends cruising around Pukekohe and Tuakau throughout the morning, but he crashed before police could stop him.

Pukekohe police sergeant Noel Foster said it was lucky that no one was seriously injured in the collision, which occurred about midday when the youngster drove through an intersection, over a raised median barrier and into a light truck.

Mr Foster said the boy had skipped school and stolen his parents' silver Mazda Premacy before collecting two friends and driving to neighbouring suburbs throughout the morning.

Police officers in Tuakau looking for three offenders who had burgled a house noticed the boys drive past.

"A police car travelling in the other direction turned around [and] activated his lights to get other cars to pull over to catch up to them."

Mr Foster said that when the young driver came to an intersection he tried to drive around a car that had stopped in front of him but lost control and scaled a median barrier before crashing into the truck.

The impact of the crash spun the truck around and crushed the front of the car the boy was driving.

Mr Foster said it was a close call, but no one required medical attention at the scene.

"He was pretty sorry for what had happened, he was very upset about it, pretty distressed by the shock of what he had been through and the possible consequences."

A person must be 14 to be charged in New Zealand's Youth Court. Mr Foster said the boy would receive "attention" from the agency, his school and parents.