A Missouri mom has been charged with child endangerment after she told her 8-year-old son to take the wheel of a car while she was passed out in the backseat.
The incident, which occurred in downtown St. Louis Monday, has sparked outrage and concerns about parental responsibility and child safety.
According to multiple reports, in St. Louis, an alert police officer spotted a vehicle being driven in the wrong direction of traffic. To the officer's astonishment, he discovered that the driver was an 8-year-old boy, with his mother unconscious in the backseat.
Read: Colorado Truck Driver Kills Woman Who Threw Rocks At His Truck While He Slept
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's probable cause statement revealed that the 8-year-old boy informed the officer that his mother was unable to drive, instructing him to take over. The situation became even more alarming when it was discovered that a 3-year-old child was also present in the backseat, unrestrained in a car seat.
As a result of the incident, the mother, identified as 28-year-old Latonya Mayes-Gale, was found unconscious in the backseat of the vehicle and was taken into custody.
She was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
The charges specifically focused on the endangerment of both the 8-year-old who was driving and the 3-year-old who was not properly secured in a car seat.
The legal consequences faced by Mayes-Gale are just one aspect of the fallout from this shocking incident. In addition to potential imprisonment, she may also face the loss of custody or visitation rights, mandatory parenting classes, and intervention from child protective services.
__Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.__
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter.Sign up for our free newsletter.
