Man abandons son on German autobahn to teach him lesson

A GERMAN father abandoned his 14-year-old son on a highway 280 miles (450km) from their home after an argument, saying he wanted to teach him a lesson, authorities said today.

The man from the Rhineland in western Germany threw his son out of the car at a rest stop in the southern state of Bavaria yesterday during a cross-country drive, giving him €5 ($6.50) to make his own way home.

When motorists saw the son walking on the side of the road at dusk, they alerted the police.

Officers picked up the teenager and called his father, who was already north of Frankfurt, about 62 miles away.

"The man said he wanted to teach his son a lesson," police said in a statement, adding that he recommended the child be kept for a night at the police station.

Officers finally convinced the man to return to collect his son in Bavaria.

"After father and son had hugged and promised each other to get along again, they started off together on the 400km journey home," the statement said.

Police informed child welfare authorities of the case.

News.com.au