Drunken dad uses nine-year-old daughter as designated driver

A man from Michigan, US, was arrested on two charges of child abuse after having his nine-year-old daughter drive his van to a nearby petrol station because he'd been drinking, police said on Tuesday.

The drunken dad, Shawn Russell, 39, was caught on station surveillance cameras showing off his designated driver to the attendant: “I got a designated driver”, he said”

“Nine years old. Nine! Listen, we’re leaving and she’s driving. I’m drunk.”

Stumbling back to his van, Russell’s 120cm-tall daughter took the wheel and they drove off. Luckily for them both, they didn’t get very far after a good Samaritan witnessing the fiasco followed the van and called police.

According to police reports, the nine-year-old driver was caught sitting on a booster seat while driving and when pulled over she said: “what did you stop me for? I was driving good!"

Since the incident, Russell was prohibited from seeing his daughter and has additional charges pending relating to being a habitual offender in connection with past convictions on four felonies.