Young Joy Riders Drive Car Over Cliff : Crime: Stolen vehicle is snagged in bushes near Mulholland Drive embankment. No one is injured.

A joy ride ended Wednesday morning when a 13-year-old Van Nuys driver lost control of the car and drove over a cliff on Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles police said.

“They were a few inches short of the big ride,” said Officer Terry Schauer. “The kid can barely see over the steering wheel.”

Two boys and four girls from Van Nuys, none older than 13, were arrested after police said the driver lost control on a curve and drove the stolen 1979 black Camaro over the embankment in the 13700 block of Mulholland Drive.

Luckily, police said, no one was was injured in the accident, which occurred about 10 a.m. Police are withholding the driver’s and passengers’ names because of their ages.

“He (the driver) tried to get back on the road, but the car slid slowly and tipped over the embankment and got caught in the trees and bushes,” Schauer said. “That’s what stopped the car from going over the cliff.”

A resident in the area spotted the Camaro cruising by twice, and on the second passing he saw the car go off the cliff.

The children were booked at West Los Angeles Police Station for “joy riding”--driving a car without the owner’s consent--and released to their parents. The car had been reported stolen Tuesday by a Van Nuys resident who police said was unrelated to any of the children.

Police said the parents’ reactions ranged from disappointment to annoyance when they received calls at home and at work from officers asking them to pick up their children at the station.

One parent said, “Do I have to?” and asked if officers would allow the child to take the bus home.