VIDEO: City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's son took vehicle

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April 6, 2007

Anonymous The Niagara Gazette Fri Apr 06, 2007, 02:36 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - After initially insisting that a thief was driving his family's sport utility vehicle when it crashed into two parked cars, Mayor Byron Brown said Friday that his 16-year-old son was behind the wheel.

Brown's wife reported the Chevrolet Equinox stolen when the incident took place Feb. 24, and Brown said at the time that he was "baffled" by the fact that the driver apparently had a key. Brown said his son, Byron III, repeatedly denied being the driver.

"Yesterday, the truth came out ... Our son took the vehicle," Brown said during a news conference.

"He's certainly going to be grounded on an indefinite basis," the mayor said.

Brown said his son admitted on Thursday that he had sneaked out of the house to go see a friend and panicked and fled the scene after hitting a patch of ice and skidding into two parked cars. He did not tell his parents because he did not want to damage his relationship with them, the mayor said. Byron III finally confessed under questioning by police Thursday, he said.

The younger Brown, who has a learner's permit, was ticketed for driving without a license and leaving the scene of an accident. He is scheduled to appear in Buffalo City Court April 16.

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