A B.C. teen girl is safe after she gained access to a Dodge Caravan and ended up hitting a parked car.
Mission RCMP is sharing details of an incident that took place in mid-April, during Autism Awareness Month.
According to a release from Mission RCMP, the high-risk incident occurred near a group home in the Fraser Valley city.
Staff at the group home called police after a 14-year-old non-speaking girl with autism was able to get keys to the home’s Dodge Grand Caravan. She got into the Dodge and began driving it, and eventually crashed into a parked car, a fence, and then reversed into a tree.
“At which point, the van became stuck, although the girl kept trying to drive,” Mission RCMP said.
When the first officer arrived on scene, they noticed that the girl was still in the driver’s seat with the engine running, but wasn’t communicating with anyone.
“She had all of the doors locked, and no spare key was available. The officer recognized that the vehicle needed to be turned off to avoid causing injury to the girl or anyone else, but also wanted to avoid traumatizing her by getting into a physical confrontation,” Mission RCMP said, adding that breaking a window was the only way to get into the vehicle quickly.
The officer did so at the passenger side of the vehicle to be less frightening for the B.C. teen girl and to reduce the chance of injury from broken glass.
The officer shattered the window and was able to shut the vehicle off.
“With there being no further immediate danger, the officer gave group-home staff the time they needed to communicate with the teen, which resulted in her eventually willingly exiting the vehicle and returning inside the home,” Mission RCMP said.
No one was injured as a result of the incident, and property damage was minor.
“Mission RCMP highlights this as a good example of the balance that officers often have to find between trying to peacefully de-escalate a situation, while still taking necessary action in a timely manner,” it said.
RCMP is asking the public that if they’re calling police to report a matter involving an autistic person, or someone with other factors that may impact their ability to interact with police, the call-taker should advise the force so that it can accommodate the person’s needs.
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