9-Year-Old Crashes Minivan in North Laurel: Police

A child reportedly got into trouble when he took his parents' vehicle for a spin in North Laurel Thursday morning.

The 9-year-old sideswiped a neighbor's tree in 9300 block of Madison Avenue when he attempted to drive his mother's minivan, according to Fox 45, which reported the Howard County Police Department was investigating the incident.

Nobody was injured in the crash, which was reported at 8:09 a.m., according to the Howard County Police Department, although the boy was taken to Howard County General Hospital for a checkup.

Police officials said they did not expect to file charges.

Last month, a Norwegian boy made headlines across the globe when he stole his parents' vehicle outside Oslo. The 10-year-old put his infant sister in the car, bound for his grandparents' house, and drove six miles before ending up in a snowy ditch, according to Gawker. After a snowplow driver discovered them and called police, the boy told the officer he was a dwarf who had forgotten his license, Gawker reported.

This article was corrected to indicate the child struck a tree, not another vehicle.