Published 23 days ago • loading... • Updated 19 days ago
Mom Accused of Driving Car Off Cliff with Young Kids Inside, Faces DUI, Child Neglect Charge
Deputies said Chase Ryan Klinedinst was intoxicated, and one child suffered a fractured forearm and wrist after the SUV fell 20 to 25 feet.
Hamilton County Sheriff deputies arrested Chase Ryan Klinedinst on Monday, October 12, charging her with driving under the influence, two counts of child neglect, and vehicular assault after driving her SUV off a cliff with two children inside.
On September 7, Klinedinst drove to the dead end of Stuart Street onto a dirt path, where her vehicle went around a bend and fell 20 to 25 feet off Coffey's Cliff, landing upside down near Debutts Rail Yard.
Police found an empty wine bottle and a cold, unopened bottle inside the SUV; one child remained uninjured while the other suffered a fractured forearm, abrasions, and lung contusions, and officers stated Klinedinst's ability to operate a motor vehicle was "extremely impaired."
Deputies described Klinedinst as combative, with one medic recalling her shouting, "Stop grabbing me," before she was placed on a psychiatric hold for "paranoia and delusions" and released on a $10,000 bond.
Authorities submitted blood samples taken from Klinedinst to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab for analysis, while the crash forced officials to suspend all railroad operations on the easternmost rail line.