8-year-old Ohio girl drives SUV on solo trip to Target

BEDFORD, Ohio — Authorities said the 8-year-old girl took an SUV from her Ohio home and drove miles to a store where she was later found safe and sound.

The girl, whose name has not been released, and her vehicle, a 2020 Nissan Rogue, were reported missing around 9 a.m. Sunday, Bedford police said. Family members said they last saw the girl at home about two hours earlier.

When police began investigating, they learned that a small child had been spotted driving a vehicle on a nearby road, but the vehicle could not be located. The SUV was eventually found a short time later in the parking lot of a Target store in Bainbridge, which is nearly 13 miles (21 kilometers) from her home.

Police soon found the child alone in the store. She told officers she had hit a mailbox while driving but said nothing more. Authorities did not say why she decided to go to the store or provide further details about her trip.

The girl is too young to face criminal charges, police said. It was unclear Monday whether any charges would be filed in the case, which remains under investigation.