OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt said police were called to the area of Hwy. 400 near King Road just before midnight Saturday for a vehicle driving erratically.
“The vehicle exited off King Road, and that’s where officers picked it up,” he said.
The vehicle, travelling about half the speed limit, then spun around and headed southbound on King Road according to police.
Police said the vehicle came to a complete stop on the shoulder, after which an officer exited his cruiser and approached the driver.
“Then the vehicle took off again,” Schmidt said.
More officers were called in at this point and they managed to box the vehicle in without injury or collision.
The driver, an 11-year-old boy, told them he was playing Grand Theft Auto and “wanted to see what it was like to drive a car,” said Schmidt.
“I was absolutely shocked. We thought it was a drunk driver originally.”
Grand Theft Auto is a popular action-adventure racing game developed by Rockstar North. The title is known for its high-adrenaline game play and dynamic visuals.
“It’s pretty frightening to think of what could have happened — all over the highway with no experience and with the mindset of running from the cops,” Schmidt said.
“That’s certainly a recipe for disaster.”
Schmidt believes the chase lasted several kilometres before the 11-year-old driver was safely stopped.
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