An 11-year-old girl driving a side-by-side vehicle in Rankin Inlet allegedly struck and seriously injured a three-year-old on Aug, 11, resulting in a medevac flight to Winnipeg for treatment.
The driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene, making it a hit-and-run incident, according to Fire Chief Mark Wyatt.
"The kid was medevaced out and he'll probably be OK, but, at this point in time, we don't know the extent of his injuries," Wyatt said.
"We figured out who did it and it annoys me to no end because I've been after her parents for years to tell their kid to stop driving their vehicles. She started driving them when she was about six years old and she's only 11 now," he added.
Wyatt said he hopes legal action can be taken.
"I think she's too young for charges, but the parents certainly aren't, so we'll see what comes out of it all. In many jurisdictions, the parents can be held legally responsible for their kids' actions."
According to www.legalline.ca, in Nunavut, parents are legally responsible for their children's actions, even if they believe they are providing adequate supervision. If a child engages in an activity authorized by a parent and commits a harmful act, the parent can be liable for not properly supervising how the authorized activity was performed.
If proceedings end up in court, the legal system will examine if the parent's supervision was reasonable under all relevant circumstances. If not, the parent may be liable for any damages caused by the child's actions. This liability is particularly significant for younger children, whose actions are more closely scrutinized by the courts.
"The whole thing is pretty frustrating," lamented Wyatt. "You don't know what it's like to arrive first on scene and the father's holding the child. I don't even wait for the ambulance. I'm like, 'Get in the truck and let's go.' It's tough, man. An 11-year-old shouldn't be driving any sort of a motor vehicle."
A spokesperson for the said they will not be releasing any information regarding the matter at this time, as the incident is still under investigation.
