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Boy, 11, leads police on hour-long chase in cement mixer truck

By Ben Hooper
An 11-year-old boy in Minnesota is accused of leading police on an hour-long chase in a cement mixer truck. Screenshot: JukinMedia
An 11-year-old boy in Minnesota is accused of leading police on an hour-long chase in a cement mixer truck. Screenshot: JukinMedia

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DODGE CENTER, Minn., March 22 (UPI) -- Authorities in Minnesota said an 11-year-old boy took a cement mixer truck on a joyride and led police in a chase at speeds of up to 71 mph.

The Dodge County Sheriff's Office, the Minnesota State Patrol, Kasson police and Dodge Center police said the incident began about 3 p.m. Sunday when the boy stole the cement truck in Kasson and started driving it around town.

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Police attempted to stop the truck for speeding, but the boy sped off and led authorities on an hour-long chase reaching speeds of 71 mph.

The boy collided with a Minnesota State Patrol car and a Kasson police car during the pursuit, which also saw one of the truck's tires popped with a spike strip.

The young driver continued to flee on the rim of the deflated tire, causing damage to roads and lawns, police said.

The truck was stopped in Dodge Center and the boy was taken into custody when he attempted to flee on foot, investigators said.

Witness Jeff Beddow said he was familiar with the boy driver.

"He was raised in a farming environment. He can drive tractors. He can drive trucks. He knew what he was doing," Beddow told WCCO-TV. "He was not stopping for anything. If there would have been a car or pedestrian in the way, it would have been disastrous."

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Authorities said no injuries were reported and investigators were still working to determine the extent of the damage caused by the boy.

The boy was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center in Rochester and is expected to be formally charged.

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