911 calls detail 8-year-old’s wild joyride in Columbia County

MARTINEZ, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - An 8-year-old was behind the wheel of her mother’s car Monday morning on Furys Ferry Road — a road that experiences more than 24,000 cars a day, according to Columbia County.

The young girl took the car close to three miles down Furys Ferry Road towards River Watch Parkway.

Calls came pouring into the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m just driving, and the car ahead of me ... it looks like they’re drunk or having an episode because they’re going super slow and kind of weaving in and out of traffic,” one caller says.

This caller was shocked when she pulled closer and got a look at the driver.

“Oh, my God,” she says. “It’s a little girl driving. She looks about 7.”

The 8-year-old continues down the street, and calls keep coming in.

“There’s a blue vehicle going in the opposite direction to me. It looks like a 10-, 11-year-old driving,” another caller says.

Another driver pulled in behind the child, following and talking to 911 for eight minutes until deputies were able to make the stop.

This caller was able to give deputies the play-by-play of what was going on.

“She’s not really staying in the lane. I’m just in shock right now,” this caller says.

Swerving and going 20-30 miles under the posted speed limit causing cars to back up behind her. Getting closer and closer to Riverwatch Parkway.

“Everyone else around her is driving very slow too, I don’t know if they looked in and saw her or not,” she says.

Those who didn’t know made it known they wanted this car to speed up.

“Everyone’s beeping at me,” the caller says.

Horns are heard honking in the background of the call.

“I mean, traffic’s just getting busier. It’s starting to freak me out a little bit. Everyone’s beeping at her,” she says.

A 911 dispatcher then tells the driver behind the car to turn on her hazard lights, hoping to relay a message that something isn’t right.

Traveling by the Publix on Furys Ferry, there’s only a mile left until getting to Riverwatch Parkway, which caused concerns for the caller.

“She’s about to reach a busy (intersection). I just don’t know what she’s going to do. If someone can come quickly, that would be awesome,” she says. “I’m just worried about her, and I don’t know how long I can follow her.”

Reaching the intersection also brings challenges of going over county lines, from Columbia to Richmond County. Columbia County 911 quickly adds Richmond County to the call.

Before they have to deal with that and the dangers that lie ahead, a deputy gets to the 8-year-old.

“He’s right there,” the caller says.

“Do you see the deputy?” 911 asks.

“Yes, I got him,” the caller says.

According to the incident report, the child says she was just driving and didn’t know why she took her mother’s car.

She was taken to juvenile court and released to her mom.

After receiving previous incident reports, we found out that the day before this incident she was found riding her bike on Washington Road. Then, following being released to her mom and going back home, she ran away and was picked up by authorities for the second time in one day.

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