Police: Dad allowed girl, 3, to ride motorbike by herself

TUTTLINGEN, Germany, March 11 (UPI) -- Police in Germany said a father is facing charges for allowing his 3-year-old daughter to ride a motorbike with a top speed of about 40 mph.

Police said an officer spotted the girl driving the "pocket bike" Sunday afternoon in Tuttlingen and the officer noted the girl "did not possess a valid driving license" and the bike was not registered for use on the road, TheLocal.de reported Tuesday.

"It was an incident that would be more likely attributed to an adolescent or adult, not a 3-year-old," police said.

Investigators said the girl's 22-year-old father was standing nearby and had been teaching the girl how to operate the bike.

"The father did not realize that a bad accident would have happened if the girl had just given it a little bit more throttle," police said.

Police seized the bike and the father was charged with breaching insurance laws and licensing regulations.