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Father Under Investigation After 11‑Year‑Old Found Driving in Brandenburg

Police say the 36-year-old passenger had been drinking and refused a voluntary breath test, prompting a criminal probe.

Overview

  • Officers stopped a car in Oberkrämer after witnesses reported a suspected underage driver and found an 11-year-old behind the wheel with his 36-year-old father riding as passenger.
  • Police say the father had been drinking, told officers he intended to send the child to a nearby gas station to buy more alcohol, and declined a voluntary breath-alcohol test.
  • Authorities have opened a Strafverfahren against the father and the matter is under investigation by the prosecutor's office; no charges or outcomes have been made public yet.
  • The case highlights clear legal breaches because German rules bar an 11-year-old from driving on public roads and set minimum ages of 16 for beer and wine and 18 for spirits.
  • Beyond legal consequences, prosecutors and reporters emphasize the safety risk to the child and other road users from an unlicensed, inexperienced driver operating a vehicle.