TV in the Back Seat, Teen in the Trunk

Cory McDaniel and Rhonda Howard have been charged with endangering a minor, Howard's 16-year-old brother.

From NBC News:

What started as a suspected kidnapping ended with a surprise for sheriff's deputies in Cumberland County, Tennessee on Monday.

A 911 caller told police that she had seen a boy being forced into the trunk of a car.

Deputies quickly located the Toyota Corolla described by the caller and pulled it over.

When the boy got out of the trunk, the driver and passenger, Cory McDaniel and Rhonda Howard, told the deputies that a big television wouldn't fit in the trunk, so they put the boy in the trunk and the TV in the back seat.

The young teen was Howard's brother.

"He did it voluntarily. It made sense to him too, I guess," said Cumberland County Sheriff Butch Burgess.

Most residents that heard about what happened are laughing and trying to understand the logic of putting someone in the trunk for the sake of a TV.

The 911 caller did the right thing by alerting police that she witnessed a boy being forced into a trunk of car.

She could have been watching an abduction.

But when it turned out that Howard's brother voluntarily gave up his seat in the back to make room for the TV. Riding in the trunk was OK with him.

A few things here--

I wouldn't call Howard's brother a "young teen." There are a lot of 16-year-old fathers out there, as well as 16-year-old gang members, thugs, and murderers tried as adults for their crimes. Sixteen-year-olds should be held responsible for their choices.

Howard's brother didn't get in the trunk against his will. Relatively speaking, 16-year-old teens make decisions that are far more detrimental to their well-being than riding in the trunk of a car.

Should the couple be charged with endangering a minor?

I suppose so. If not, it would send a message to adults that transporting minors in trunks in Tennessee is acceptable. I don't know details like how long the teen would have been riding in the trunk. Was it a brief trip or a long haul? Would the couple have checked on him often? Was the trunk tightly closed or was it popped a bit?

Obviously, a passenger in the trunk could prove deadly in the event of an accident. (I'm assuming it wasn't equipped with safety features like seat belts or air bags.) People aren't meant to ride in trunks. Period.

The charges make sense. Because the brother was a minor, the charges could focus on his age. Had he not been a minor, I suppose he could have been charged with failing to wear a seat belt.

McDaniel and Howard used poor judgment, but I do think the teen's willingness should be considered. He's old enough to be held accountable for his choices. He knows right from wrong. He wasn't coerced.

Lesson: Don't put your brother in the trunk and your TV in the back seat, even if he volunteers.