Lori Rogers cited for letting her 9-year-old daughter drive with 10-month-old in the car

Kids grow up so fast these days -- but that doesn't mean they're ready to hit the road in the family car. Which explains why police have charged Lori Rogers for letting her nine-year-old daughter drive passengers that included a ten-month-old...

By Michael Roberts

October 12, 2011

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Kids grow up so fast these days -- but that doesn't mean they're ready to hit the road in the family car.

Which explains why police have charged Lori Rogers for letting her nine-year-old daughter drive passengers that included a ten-month-old.

According to KKCO-TV in Grand Junction, witnesses and employees at a McDonald's near the town's main mall spotted a car headed toward the restaurant in erratic fashion; it was weaving, tailgating, stopping suddenly.

Why? This question was answered when the vehicle pulled into the McDonald's drive-through, and staffers noticed that the person behind the wheel probably wasn't even old enough for a training bra, let alone driving lessons.

True, her mom was in the car. But so was a ten-month-old baby.

Cops don't believe this joy ride was a one-time excursion. The previous day, they received reports from a Go-Fer Foods Store that a little girl had announced she was learning to drive -- the sort of claim that might have prompted laughter if staffers hadn't then seen her slip behind the wheel and motor away. Officers now believe the child in that incident was also Ms. Rogers' pride and joy.

The charges the 36-year-old Rogers will face include child abuse, reckless endangerment and permitting an unauthorized minor to drive.

And that's not kid's stuff.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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