I guess that is what I don’t understand. He has done this in the past, hide the keys. He could have killed an innocent person.

Kids are smart and will find away
Keys can be copied/duplicated
Agree with hiding the keys, but a physical barrier like “The Club” is very effective

He's young and he needs tough love, but at his age filing charges for theft of the vehicle would probably do more harm than good.
Locking the car and taking away the keys will probably not work too well and could lead him to taking someone elses car.
You don't need advise from this forum as much as you need to have counseling for him, or you both need to have a sit down draw the line type of talk and hoping it's not too late.
Him wrecking the car should have opened his eyes. Just my 2 cents.

At 16 my son got a speeding ticket for doing 105 in a 55. At his court hearing we forced him to surrender his license. He had to wait until his 18th birthday to get one on his own as an adult. He is now 35 and has never gotten another ticket since he got his license. Actions have consequences.

yeah, i didn't say mud's son was un-insurable, i did say he probably won't be on mud's policy. as in license issues his son will deal with, it's up to what the state and dps says now, dps can postpone him getting his license and the state may make him go on a high risk policy (sr-22). mud or the state can choose to pursue charges or not, and yes, mud needs to protect his own policy. as stated above, tickets, accidents, and cancellations will follow you around in the insurance world

Best of luck Mud.

I can't offer anything as for the insurance, but do be honest with them when making the claim.

Did he give you his side of the story? Personally, I'd give him an arse whupping as long as that story was and a new pair of walking shoes.

Sorry for your dilemma.

I would say do not do anything that puts your child, and decisions that affect him in the hands of law enforcement. The do not, and will not, care or have what is good for him as a consideration. Even if it makes the situation easier for you. Do not do this.

You do not have to provide him a car or insurance and can keep this from happening, but do not get LEO involved.

A claim is a claim is a claim if single vehicle. The pole probably did not jump out in front of him.

My sons truck was totaled last year by his "friend". Single vehicle accident into a very solid h-brace. No stolen vehicle report filed.

Insurance still payed and insurance still went up.

So far, State Farm has been pretty good to work with, the underwriters could still throw a monkey wrench in the deal, but since the boy had a learners permit but now has no car, they are telling me that he will bare the brundt of the pain, once he gets his real license but at this point it probably won’t be until 18. If he didn’t have the learners permit, then I would be in a much more difficult situation. We will see how things shake out in about a week or two.

Wow. Glad he is ok

you should have a blanket made from that picture for him.... a constant reminder.

Then wrap all his **** in the blanket and send him packing.

True. My insurance rates didn't go up until my son got his license. They assume a licensed adult will be in the car when they have a learners permit.

Did he ever give a reason why he took the car?

Dammit boy ! Some of us learn things the hard way ... looks like that’s the way it’s going to go . Hang in there mud !