Nationwide — Zoe Wilson, an 8-year-old African American girl from Bedford, Ohio is safely back home after taking her mother Tangie’s car and driving to a Target store located 25 minutes away, while her family and police searched for her. The incident occurred on the morning of Sept. 15, according to a service report from the Bedford Police Department obtained by TODAY.The family realized the child was missing just before 9 a.m. and called 911 for assistance. The last time they had seen her was nearly two hours earlier. A neighbor provided police and the family with footage from their Ring camera, which showed the young girl getting into a 2020 Nissan Rogue by herself and driving away around 7 a.m.
Police officers in Bedford immediately began searching for the missing girl. Meanwhile, officers in the neighboring town of Bainbridge spotted the Nissan Rogue parked at a Target store. Dashcam footage from another driver, who reported the vehicle to authorities, showed the car weaving in and out of lanes as the young girl drove it.
The Target store is about 11 miles from the child’s home, a journey that would typically take an adult around 25 minutes, according to Google Maps. Fortunately, officers found the girl inside the Target, unharmed, and her family arrived shortly afterward to pick her up, along with the car. The child later mentioned that she had hit a mailbox on her way to the store.
The Bedford Police Department lightheartedly addressed the situation on Facebook, joking, “Not sure what she bought or if she was even able to use her Target app to save 5%.” They added, “We did let her finish her Frappuccino. We’re not mean.”
Commenters on the post were impressed by the girl’s actions, with one writing, “This is the best out of all the kids driving stories. Long distance and she got everything correctly.” Another added, “Not gonna lie. That sounds like something my 8-year-old self would have done.”