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A 12-year-old boy called 911 from the car as his father drove recklessly down a California freeway towards Las Vegas. According to KTLA, the boy's father picked him up from a birthday party unannounced on October 26th. After they left the party and got onto the freeway, the father began to drive recklessly.
“I need help…my dad is trying to take me to Vegas. He’s acting weird,” the child told 911 dispatchers. KTLA mentioned that emergency dispatchers remained on the phone with the child for more than an hour as his father continued to drive. Dispatchers noted the calmness of the child as they asked him various questions.
“This was a 12-year-old boy and he’s calling on his own father,” public safety operator Alicia Villegas told KTLA, “So, that’s really out of the ordinary.”
Traffic was very heavy during the time that the child called 911, making it difficult for police to find the vehicle. One of the dispatchers suggested that the child wave his hand out the window, and that helped California Highway Patrol locate the vehicle. KTLA shared that the father was taken into custody and is being charged with driving under the influence and child endangerment.
The child was safely returned home following the incident.