Ontario police say an 11-year-old-boy was inspired by the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series, when he took his parents' car for a joyride down a major highway. The incident took place on Saturday night, after authorities were called about a "vehicle all over the road", driving northbound on Highway 400. Officers managed to stop the car just outside of Vaughn, Ontario. Just as they were about to question the driver, the young suspect fled off in a hurry.
Sergeant Kerry Smith told the media that when he managed to stop the vehicle, he was shocked to see "an 11-year-old" boy in the driver's seat. At one point, the car reached a speed of over 120 km per hour, putting the rest of commuters at danger. Smith took to Twitter to share the news of the incident Sunday morning.
Police claimed that the boy ventured out on the road, after playing Grand Theft Auto. "He wanted to see what it was like to drive a car", said Smith. In a more detailed Facebook video, the sergeant reiterated his statement. “The games that you play are fun and pretend. As much as they put realism into it and they make it feel like it’s real. You can’t drive 200km down the highway, smash into a building, smash into some other cars, and whatever else you are going to hit, then reset your game and have your vehicle fixed and nothing happens".
While this isn't the first time the popular video game has been accused of influencing crime, studies have shown that there is no link to playing violent games and actual real world aggression. Thankfully, the boy in question was safely returned to his family and nobody was hurt in the process.
