13-Year-Old Driving on Grandma’s Lap Says He Tried To Brake Before Hitting 5 People, Grandma Charged

Memphian Ernestine Holloman, 58, was arrested and charged with DUI-child endangerment, after police say her vehicle sped down Boyd Street and struck 5 people.

Police say Ernestine's grandson was driving the vehicle, while sitting on her lap.

“I didn’t want to, but I ain’t had no choice, so she told me to sit in her lap, and I did,” 13-year-old Joseph said.

Tadarious Allmond said he just barely got out of the way, but his friends weren't quite as lucky, saying “Just rrrmmph. You know, she just, like, ran them folks totally over, like, didn’t stop, didn’t try to stop."

“I ain’t know what to do,” Joseph said. “I pushed the brake, but she pushed the gas pedal and went straight ahead and started crashing into those folks.”

After crashing, Joseph climbed out the window to get help. He said he saw 3 or 4 people on the ground, injured. Most of them had broken bones and head injuries, and the mother of one victim said her son was headed into surgery for a broken leg.

Police said Holloman's license had already been suspended for 5 years, so that doesn't help her case at all.

Joseph said the experience made him not want to drive.

“I ain’t want to drive no more,” he said.