Couple to face charges over infant-driver video
A 32-year-old man and his wife - arrested after a YouTube video showed an 18-month-old boy steering a car - will face dangerous driving charges in Kwun Tong Court this morning.
The charges follow an investigation helped by an internet service provider and closed-circuit television camera images.
The man, Yu, was charged with dangerous driving and his 27-year-old wife with aiding and abetting a person in dangerous driving.
The one-minute, 50-second video clip, which appeared in August, showed the boy sitting on the lap of the male driver to steer a BMW car. The driver controlled the pedals and helped the child to steer.
The video, which appeared to have been taken by someone sitting in the rear seat, stopped after the car parked behind a minibus.
Officers from the special investigation team of Kowloon West traffic unit took over the case after the scene was identified as Hoi Lai Street in Cheung Sha Wan, an officer said yesterday. They found that the incident happened on August 1 and the car was borrowed from a close relative of the man, the officer said.
Yu was arrested at the headquarters of Kowloon West traffic unit in Hung Hom on August 9 on suspicion of dangerous driving. His wife was arrested on August 23.
They were released on bail pending further investigation and police sought legal advice from the Department of Justice.
The couple were charged on Wednesday when they reported back to police under the terms of their bail.
Dangerous driving under the Road Traffic Ordinance carries a maximum penalty of a HK$10,000 fine and three years in jail. Under the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, any person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission by another person of any offence may be found guilty of the same offence.
