Two 9-year-old children serve as designated drivers to drunken parent
For drunken parents in October their 9-year-old children are becoming the choice for designated drivers.
In Orange County Florida on October 24 a 9-year-old boy was seen crashing the family van through a security gate. The boy was driving the van with his drunken father, 31-year-old Gillette, Wyoming, resident, Nathan Sikkenga, in the passenger seat. Mr. and Mrs. Sikkenga told the Florida Highway Patrol the boy was driving when they realized they were drunk. Mr. Sikkenga was charged with felony child endangerment.
This was not the first time this month a 9-year-old was made the designated driver though. A father from the Detroit, Michigan, area named his 9-year-old daughter his designated driver on October 8. She drove him to a gas station convenience store because he had been drinking. She had to sit in a booster seat to drive her father’s work van.
The girl was pulled over around 3 a.m. She questioned the officer who pulled her over, believing she was doing a fine job. He father was arrested after he told the officers he was teaching his daughter how to drive. He refused a Breathalyzer test and was charged with second-degree and fourth-degree child abuse.
With Halloween around the corner consider designating a driver over the age of 9. Consider a licensed driver this year.
