A 12-year-old boy in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is in custody after allegedly leading police on an hour-long pursuit in a telehandler on November 25, hitting 10 vehicles along the way.
The Genie GTH-636 telehandler was stolen from Forsyth Middle School. It was left unlocked and had a key hidden inside the cab, according to police and media reports. (To watch dash cam video of the chase, see the video at the end of this story.)
The minor, whose name is not being released, is from Ann Arbor. He was booked at Washtenaw County Youth Center.
Ann Arbor Police were called to the middle school around 6:45 p.m. November 25 on reports of the youth attempting to steal the telehandler. Moments later, the telehandler was spotted heading south on a road near the school, prompting the chase with emergency lights and sirens on.
The slow-speed chase, with top speeds of 15 to 20 mph, took police down four-lane roads and through the Georgetown Boulevard neighborhood. Local and county officials tailed the telehandler until it stopped at 7:53 p.m. Despite the damages to the 10 vehicles, no injuries were reported.
“This type of vehicle can weigh up to 35,000 pounds. This was a very dangerous situation that could’ve easily ended with serious injuries. The incident remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation,” Ann Arbor Police said in a Facebook post.
Watch Ann Arbor Police dash camera footage of the chase in the video below:
