Shanghai Boy, 12, Drives 30km to Meet Online Friend

A 12-year-old Shanghai boy drove about 30 kilometers across the city after learning how to operate a car from a mobile 3D driving game, before traffic police stopped him for running a red light.

The incident happened at about 7:15pm on July 5, when officers spotted a vehicle running a red light and ordered it to stop, according to Xinmin Evening News.

When police asked the driver to roll down the window, they found a child behind the wheel. Officers immediately removed the boy from the car, moved the vehicle to the roadside and contacted his father, surnamed Ni, to come to the scene.

Ni had not realized what had happened until he received the call. He later checked the car's location and found that his son and the vehicle had traveled about 30 kilometers from Jiading District to Xuhui District, the report said.

Police said the boy had picked up basic driving ideas from a mobile 3D simulation game. He took the car keys without permission and drove off because he wanted to meet an online gaming friend.

Officers warned the father and son that people must be at least 18 to apply for a motor vehicle driver's license, and that driving without a license puts both the driver and others at risk.