--- title: "7-Year-Old Takes Kia Sportage on a Slushy Run. It Doesn’t Go Well" description: "In Middletown, Ohio, a 7-year-old boy took the family Kia Sportage for a joyride to get a slushy. It didn't go well." date: "2022-05-19" modified: "2022-05-19" authors: - name: "Kristin V. Shaw" job_title: "Contributor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kristin-shaw" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/7-year-old-takes-kia-sportage-on-a-slushy-run-it-doesnt-go-well" categories: - "Culture" - "News" tags: - "compact" - "Crash" - "Kia" - "kids" - "sportage" - "suv/crossover" --- # 7-Year-Old Takes Kia Sportage on a Slushy Run. It Doesn’t Go Well ![A 7-year-old boy takes family car]() I like an icy drink as much as anyone, and I fondly remember the number of times my sister and I rode our bikes [to the local 7-Eleven]() for a Slurpee. A young boy from Middletown, Ohio, decided to do the same earlier this week, though instead of his bike, he grabbed the keys to [the family's Kia Sportage](). His destination? The local Speedway gas station, where an ice-cold slushy awaited him. To little Daniel Wittenbach’s credit (and to his parents, who must be setting a good example), he can be seen on the dashcam video buckling his seatbelt before starting the car. However, not [knowing anything about road rules](), he drove in the wrong direction on a four-lane road, veering on and off the grassy median. Almost immediately, the 911 calls started coming in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dW5mDx1s6Q “There was a boy driving the wrong way, a small child in a red Kia,” one caller said, according to the video shared by *[WLWT]().* Daniel can be seen barely reaching the pedals and was peering over the dashboard as best he could. [*WLWT News* in Cincinnati]() reported that he had the radio turned all the way up as he was cruising. As the boy continued down Roosevelt Boulevard, dashcam video shows a man whipping off his shirt to break the car window to help stop the car. Daniel can be heard saying, “Stop! It’s my mom’s car.” Another man rushed toward the car, perhaps trying to stop the Kia with his body, but the boy veered left and hit a parked Jeep, which finally ended the [joyride]() in the middle of rush hour. His parents were alerted, and they probably had brief panic attacks before learning that he was ultimately okay. According to the [video from *WLWT*](), the keys are kept up high on a peg, but Daniel didn’t let that slow his roll. He climbed up for the keys and set out on an adventure that fortunately didn’t end in any injuries or major damage except maybe to the Jeep and the Kia itself. Whether or not the kid got his slushy in the end wasn’t revealed. *Got a tip? Send it to kristin.shaw@thedrive.com.* ## Author Kristin Shaw is the former Weekend Editor for The Drive and a current freelancer in both the automotive and aviation worlds. She’s a big fan of anything car-related and calls on her technology background on the corporate side to explain engineering and high-tech concepts. Now living in her sixth state (New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, and now Texas), she is thrilled that working from home is now mainstream. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Instagram]() [Twitter]()