Father who allowed daughter, 9, to drive enters guilty pleas

DETROIT (AP) -- A suburban Detroit man has entered guilty pleas to allegations that he let his 9-year-old daughter drive him around because he had been drinking. The Wayne County prosecutor's office says 39-year-old Shawn Weimer pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree child abuse and allowing an unlicensed minor to operate a motor vehicle. Weimer was arrested Oct. 8 when police pulled over his van and found the girl behind the wheel near their home. Surveillance video from a Brownstown Township gas station shows Weimer bragging about her driving skills. The girl testified last month that her father drank a half bottle of whiskey the night they were pulled over and that she agreed to drive but felt a "little scared." Weimer is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 23 in Wayne County Circuit Court. Published: Wed, Dec 21, 2011