Father and son, 13, face driving charges

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

A 13-YEAR-old boy was caught by Poroma police driving a semi-trailer belonging to a transport company in the Southern Highlands. 

The vehicle was  returning from Tari to Lae.

The newly formed police patrol unit based in Poroma headed by Insp Daniel Yangen was on its routine patrol  at about  12.30pm last Wednesday when it sighted the semi-trailer at Timdom Hill at the Poroma -Nipa section of the highway.

Police tried to stop the truck but it continued on a high speed towards Mendi.

When they eventually managed to stop the truck, they found a 13-year-old behind the wheel.

Police said the father of the boy was a licensed driver employed by the transport company and he allegedly allowed his son to drive the truck.

Police said the father was charged with two counts of allowing a minor to drive a vehicle and without licence and the son with driving without a licence.

Both will appear in the Mendi District Court on Thursday.

Yangen and his unit warned that the area would be constantly patrolled even though they had only one vehicle and faced fuel shortage.