Hulking 4x4s are not a traditional choice for boy racers looking for a thrill, but a joyriding five-year-old proved less discerning when he took his stepfather's Mitsubishi Shogun for a four-mile jaunt.
The tot - named as Thomas Chatfield from Tangmere, near Chichester - took the tough off-roader for an unaccompanied romp, culminating in a collision with a wall after 20 minutes behind the wheel.
Luckily no-one was hurt - even though the little chap ended up blubbing in shock following the low-speed prang.
The episode began at 6am, when neighbours alerted the little boy's mother after hearing loud revving noises, according to the Telegraph.
They then watched in horror as Thomas - who had to stand in order to drive the vehicle - managed to reverse out of the family's driveway, before heading off up the lane, hitting two parked cars as neighbours chased after him.
While it is not clear how or why the boy started up the car, the automatic transmission would have allowed him to travel at low-speed without the need for pressing on the accelerator.
His route then took him along a stretch of the A27 dual carriageway, before Thomas headed north on the A285, ironically driving past the Goodwood race circuit, before hitting a wall in the village of Lavant.
In all, the hi-jinks saw the schoolboy hitting four parked cars and a passing motorist, who then followed, pulling the weeping - but unhurt - Thomas out of the car and calling emergency services.
A spokesperson for West Sussex Police confirmed that no action would be taken in relation to the "bizarre case".
"I believe the boy was crying after he had the accident because he was a bit shaken, but for a five-year-old he had driven quite well," he added.
The incident recalls an event last summer when a seven-year-old led police on a car chase in an apparent bid to avoid going to church.
