13 year olds lead police on car chase

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - West Lafayette police engaged in a high-speed pursuit with a driver not old enough to legally drive.

Police say the three teens inside the car were only 13 years old.

A West Lafayette officer says he tried to pull over a car with its headlights off shortly before 3 Wednesday morning near Salisbury and Grant streets.

The officer followed as the car sped off.

Police say the car drove through several neighborhood streets before heading south on Northwestern Avenue and hitting speeds of 60 miles an hour.

Roughly three minutes later, the teens’ car wrecked near State and Pierce streets.

That's when the officer discovered there were three 13-year-old girls inside.

West Lafayette Police Deputy Chief Chris Leroux said he was very surprised to see such young faces in the car.

“We don’t see a 13 year old behind the wheel very often,” Leroux said. “In my 25 years, I don’t know that I ever have, to be honest with you. So it’s certainly an odd occurrence to see; something that surprised the officers as much as it did anybody.”

Police say the teens were driving a car owned by a parent.

They were taken to juvenile intake at the Tippecanoe County Jail.

Police are not releasing any dash cam video until a pursuit review board goes over the incident next week.