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Girl Drives Mom's Mini-Van Into Neighbor's Home

Posted: 8:34 PM Jul 17, 2012
Reporter: Lauren Squires

Girl Drives Van Into Porch

A 12-year-old crashes her mothers mini-van into a neighbor’s house in Council Bluffs. It happened Tuesday morning just before 2. Thankfully no one was hurt and the damage was minimal. But according to police reports, the 12-year-old girl wanted to get something to drink from a nearby convenient store. She got in her mother's van and started to drive but she forgot to turn on the headlights and that got police attention.

Almost everyday you can find Paul McMillin sitting on his front porch and he has a pretty good view of what's going on in his neighborhood.

“You can sit out here and if there is anything going on you can usually catch it,” said McMillin.

Early Tuesday morning, when he was sleeping, something happened outside.

“My wife woke up and woke me up and she said she heard a noise she looked out the window and there was a van sitting in the front yard,” said McMillin.

A 12-year-old girl was in the driver's seat. She didn't make it far from her house before police saw she was driving with no lights and followed her to McMillin’s lawn, where she crashed, just a block away from home.

The girl hit his concrete steps, knocking those about three inches and cracking the base. He says she got out of the car and started crying.

“She was lucky that she didn't get hurt or hurt somebody else,” said McMillin.

In all, the damage will likely total $1500. The girl was taken in, fingerprinted and charged with driving without a license, driving with no headlights and operation without consent.

We spoke with the girl’s mother. She says her daughter is a good student who is well behaved and that she learned a tough lesson.

By the way, the fine for driving without a license starts at $250.