KEY POINTS:
A nine-year-old boy drove 100km in his mother's car - before stopping at a service station in tears and asking to phone home.
Scott Rickit, who had never been behind the wheel before, took his mother's Nissan Cefiro from their home in New Plymouth in an attempt to reach his father in Auckland.
He drove along State Highway 3 to Awakino after taking the keys and rolling out of the drive to avoid detection.
Julie Robertson, owner of the Junction Service Station at Awakino, explained: "He came in crying and wanting to ring his mother. He voluntarily gave me the car keys.
"We were concerned about him because he was very upset and he was only young.
Julie phoned the police before contacting Scott's mother Christine.
"We thought that was the best thing to do," she said.
"He was saying he wanted to see his father in Auckland. I rang his mother but she had already found out from the police - as you can imagine she was pretty angry.
"At that point I think that he had realised what he had done and that he would be in trouble. We looked after him until his mum arrived, we offered to make him some toast and a Milo."
Scott, who is only 1.3m tall, said he drove at 100km/h and overtook other vehicles. He told the Taranaki Daily News he learnt to drive by watching his mother. "There were no oncoming cars, though."
At one stage he noticed a van following closely so stopped at the top of Mt Messenger to let the driver past, but was approached by him instead.
"I told him I don't talk to strangers, then I just planted my foot and he couldn't catch me," said the youngster.
Julie said Scott had none of his belongings in the car.
"I was going to come back anyway. You've got to eat, you've got to come back for something".
His mother described him as a good boy. "It is just when he goes and does silly things."
- NZPA
