NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Nicholasville mother is looking for answers and accountability after her 11-year-old son and his underage friend were able to use a ride-sharing app to travel to another state without parental consent.
Ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft both tout safety policies that require a minor to be accompanied by an adult to ride. However, that did not stop Tonya Reed's son Aaidenn and his friend from using one to travel to West Virginia on Monday.
"I want accountability," said Reed. "I want to know the protocols. What is set up for something like this?"
It was more than twelve hours between the last time Reed spoke to her son after setting him up for his virtual classes.
She says she was in another room when she realized he was nowhere to be found.
"I'm shaking because I never not know where my kids are," said Reed.
A post with his photo got more than 500 shares on Facebook and ignited searches throughout the day. Nicholasville Police even issued a missing person's report.
"I just start looking. I just immediately began to cover the area, what I knew, the other mother went the opposite direction," she explained.
It was hours before Reed got the call she was desperately waiting for.
"I said 'where are you?' and he said a hotel in West Virginia. And I said 'West Virginia?', I said 'put an adult on the phone,'" said Reed. "I was extremely surprised. I felt overwhelmed."
At this point, Nicholasville police say they are working to confirm which rideshare app the kids took to get to Charleston, West Virginia where they spent the majority of day until Aaidenn, who is diagnosed with autism and ADHD, asked a woman for a phone to call his mom.
How the driver checked or why that didn't happen in this case is what police are trying to get to the bottom of.
While she waits for answers, Reed is holding her baby close. Because she knows it could've been a lot worse, she feels blessed.
"I thank God that this is a story that came out with a positive end, but my heart draws empathy for all of the stories that went the opposite direction," said Reed.
It's why she wanted to share her message with other parents.
"I want other parents to be aware that this could happen to your child," said Reed.
