The disclosure provides a vehicle control device and method for controlling a vehicle. The vehicle control device includes a gear shift member, having a parking brake keeping a vehicle in a stationary state, a drive gear keeping driving the vehicle, and a park gear keeping the vehicle in a parked state; a control switch configured to be able to control the parking brake and shift to the park gear; a control member performing following controls when the vehicle is in the parked state: when the control switch is operated for a period of time shorter than a prescribed time, the control member shifts to the park gear and executes linked parking that links an operation of the parking brake, and during the execution of the linked parking, when the control switch is operated for a period of time longer than the prescribed time, the control member releases the parking brake.