It was supposed to be the standard pre-teen sleep-over for three Rayon City, Tennessee, girls but things went awry when Lori Michelle Rock, the 35-year-old mother of the girl who was hosting the party, decided that everyone should go for a drive to visit her boyfriend. The visit went smoothly enough, but Rock spent most of it knocking back hooch, then piled the girls into the car and tried to drive them home, passing in and out of consciousness. The pre-teens decided they'd rather not have a drunk woman put their young lives at risk, and stood a better chance driving themselves.

With Rock asleep in the back seat, 12-year-old Sydney Hughes took over driving duties, until rear-ending another car, the driver of which confiscated Rock's keys and called police.

Hughes' father, irked by the whole situation, was also surprised at her driving skills, telling reporters, "I didn't even know she could drive a stick shift."

» Scott Saxon