10-year-old at wheel of car that crashes into Circle K

A Sierra Vista convenience store became a drive-through Thursday when a woman let her 10-year-old daughter get behind the wheel of the family sedan.

Linda Morales, 31, was in the car and allowed her daughter to drive their 1999 Plymouth Breeze to the Circle K at 95 Rainbow Way, Cpl. Scott Borgstadt, spokesman for the Sierra Vista Police Department, said in a news release. The pre-teen successfully — though illegally — navigated the streets on the quarter-mile drive to the store, but once in the parking lot, she mistook the gas for the brake, and drove the car through the plateglass windows.

Fortunately, no one in the store or in the car was injured.

“The store front had excessive damage to the front doors and support beams. Per Sierra Vista Police Department procedures when a structure suffers extensive damage a city of Sierra Vista building inspector is called to assess the damage,” Borgstadt said. “Upon inspection, the business was deemed unsafe for occupation and closed for maintenance. Circle K’s maintenance crews worked throughout the night and had the damage repaired enough to open the store at 6 a.m. Friday.”

Morales was cited and released on scene for allowing an unauthorized minor to drive.