DARLINGTON — Lafayette County authorities received a bit of a surprise when they arrived on scene at a one-vehicle accident last Saturday. The driver, it turned out, was a 12-year-old girl from Darlington. The legal driving age in Wisconsin remains at 16, as it has for over a half-century.

At about 9:45 p.m. on Sept. 21, a deputy responded to a report of an accident on Wis. 81 in Seymour Township. With Belmont Fire and EMS assisting on scene, the first responders made contact with the driver, Brittany Cruz-Cardona, 12, Darlington.

According to officials, Cruz-Cardona had been driving a 2017 Dodge west on Wis. 81 “at a high rate of speed when she lost control of the vehicle and went into the ditch,” a Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department press release said. “Cruz-Cardona was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and her vehicle was towed from the scene with disabling damage”

Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill had to send out a separate press release confirming the age of the driver.

“I just wanted to confirm ... the driver was indeed 12 years of age,” said Gill, who said he was surprised when heard the news as well. “I checked with dispatch myself when I received the release at 2 a.m., as I thought it may have been an error.” 

According to Gill, the underage girl was cited for No Valid Driver’s License, No Insurance, Failure to Maintain Control, and Obstructing.

— Adam Krebs