{
  "id": 11386437,
  "title": "Perth man accused of letting toddler steer car appears in court",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/perth-man-accused-of-letting-toddler-steer-car-appears-in-court",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T07:26:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-02/jake-douglas-smith-allegedly-let-toddler-steer-car-in-perth/107220950"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jake Douglas Smith, a 30-year-old man from Perth, appeared in court on Friday, accused of allowing a toddler to steer a car while seated on his lap in suburban Alkimos. The alleged incident occurred on September 11, according to police. A video uploaded to social media showed the young child with hands on the steering wheel and the back of their head as the vehicle navigated through a residential area, eventually mounting a curb and stopping on a front lawn. The video caption read, \"3 year old driving a Hilux what a legend.\" Mr. Smith represented himself in court and requested an adjournment. He was previously on a conditional suspended imprisonment order, and his bail was extended until his next hearing later in the month. When questioned about uploading the video to social media, Mr. Smith was uncertain.",
  "summary": "Jake Douglas Smith is alleged to have uploaded a video to social media showing a small child steering a car through a residential area.",
  "key_points": [
    "Jake Douglas Smith, 30, appeared in court on Friday.",
    "Toddler accused of steering car on September 11.",
    "Smith requested adjournment, bail extended."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}