NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A Florida woman found herself in a tight spot with police on Wednesday.
Amy Lee Kidd is accused of allowing her 9-year-old child to back out of a tight parking space while teaching them to drive. The vehicle crashed into a building when the child stepped on the accelerator and the vehicle flew into reverse, authorities said.
Kidd, 40, of New Port Richey, was arrested Wednesday and charged with child neglect and permitting an unauthorized person to drive following the crash, WFLA-TV reported.
According to the New Port Richey Police Department, officers responded to a crash at about 7:26 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
According to police, surveillance video showed Kidd speaking to the child through the driver’s side of a Kia SUV, WTSP-TV reported.
Police said Kidd was giving her child driving tips to back the SUV out of the parking space, according to the television station.
“The child puts the car in reverse at the direction of the parent and then apparently accelerates very fast,” New Port Richey Police Chief Robert Kochen said in a statement, according to WFLA. “The car basically shot across the parking lot at a good rate of speed and crashed into a building.”
Police said that Kidd tried to hang on to the moving vehicle and was dragged from the parking spot, WTSP reported.
The SUV crashed into a building causing “substantial damage,” according to the television station. The child was not injured, police said.
The building that was hit houses the business of Rob Marlowe, the mayor of New Port Richey, WTSP reported. Marlowe runs a computer networking business.
“That could’ve been really bad,” Marlowe told WFLA. “I’ve got a 9-year-old granddaughter; that’s scary.”
According to police, Kidd allegedly told officers that she let the child drive because the car parked next to them was too close and she was unable to slide into the driver’s seat, WTSP reported.
“This is a really dangerous situation,” Kochen said. “If there were people in the area -- it was a pretty crowded parking lot -- if there were people in the area, they would’ve been in danger.
“The child was in danger and the mom put herself in danger.”