OH (JOHN) DEERE.
Traffic gardaí near Navan, County Meath made a surprising discovery on Saturday night as they stopped a tractor which was being driven by a 12-year-old boy.
In a statement, Meath Crime Prevention confirmed that members from the Meath Roads Policing Unit stopped the John Deere tractor at approximately 12.30am as it was being driven through the town of Trim.
Upon stopping the tractor, they found three young boys inside-- a 15-year-old, an eight-year-old and a 12-year-old, who was the driver of the vehicle.
The tractor was seized by gardaí and the children were taken to Trim Garda Station, where police officers contacted their parents.
In the statement on social media, Meath Crime Prevention joked "We know young farmers love driving tractors, but they have to wait until old enough to be properly licensed".
Oh Dear! A John Deere driven by a 12 year old...
Members from Unit C Meath Roads Policing Unit stopped this John Deere...
Posted by Meath Crime Prevention on Sunday, December 1, 2019
In Ireland, a person cannot drive a tractor on a road until they are at least 16 years of age, meaning that not one person found in the cab on Saturday night would have been legally allowed to control the vehicle.
Anyone over the age of 14 is permitted to drive a tractor on a farm as long as they have attended a formal training course and are supervised by an adult-- but of course, in this situation the driver was not 14, not driving on a farm and did not have adult supervision.
Responses to the incident on social media ranged from hilarity to outrage, and a further update from Meath Crime Prevention urged people "not to jump to conclusions and allow due process to take its course", reminding those commenting that "the matter remains under investigation at this time".
