Child, 9, injured in high-speed joyride expected to recover

CLARKSVILLE — A 9-year-boy who took a car for a joyride on Sunday drove 70 mph in a 20 mph residential zone when he ran off the road, struck a driveway, became airborne and hit a tree.

The child, who was not named, was seriously injured and flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, authorities said. Clarksville Police spokeswoman Natalie Hall said Monday that the boy was "stable, alert and expected to recover."

The child's parent told police he autistic. He suffered a few lacerations, broken bones and other injuries.

According to a police report, the boy took the car, which was owned by his mother's friend, Caitlyn Moore, 21, of Clarksville, at about 1:13 p.m. Sunday.

Witnesses told police that they saw the vehicle traveling east on Eva Drive at a very high rate of speed just before the crash.

9-year-old injured after Clarksville joyride

"The driver stuck a driveway sending the vehicle approximately 23 feet in the air before striking a tree," the report states.

The tree was cut in half and the vehicle landed and rolled over. It slid into a telephone pole before coming to a final rest, according to police.

"The child appeared to have been ejected from the driver side window approximately 14 feet prior to the the vehicle striking the telephone pole," the police report stated.

The police report says the boy suffered "incapacitating" injuries.

No one else was in the car and no other vehicles were hit.

Reach Breaking News Reporter Stephanie Ingersoll at 245-0267 or on Twitter @StephLeaf