A 30-year-old Tennessee mother has been arrested after investigators say she drove an SUV off a cliff in Chattanooga with her two young children inside, leaving one of them with a broken arm and a bruised lung. Chase Ryan Klinedinst faces charges of driving under the influence, two counts of child neglect, and vehicular assault.
Crash Details and Rescue
According to an affidavit, Klinedinst was driving a 2020 Honda CR-V west on Stuart Street on September 7 when the road reached a dead end. She continued onto a dirt path toward Coffey's Cliff, and the SUV went over, falling about 20 to 25 feet and landing upside down near railroad tracks. The area is used by train spotters.
Emergency crews rescued the children and their mother, who was not seriously injured. Both children were restrained in child safety seats. One child suffered a broken arm and a bruised lung, while the other was treated and released. The reports describe the children only as young, and neither has been named.
Investigation and Evidence
Deputies from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office noticed that Klinedinst was slurring her speech and had a strong odour of alcohol, and one deputy described her as combative with medics. Investigators found two bottles of wine in the passenger area, one empty and the other unopened, still cold and covered in condensation.
Blood samples taken during her medical treatment are to be submitted to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's crime laboratory, so the results are not yet known. The affidavit describes the cliff as roughly 20 to 25 feet above rail level, with a drop to the ground below.
Legal Proceedings and Charges
Klinedinst was arrested on 12 October and charged with driving under the influence, two counts of child neglect and vehicular assault. She is due in court on 17 November. The charges are allegations that have not been tested in court, and reports did not explain why the arrest came more than five weeks after the crash.
Klinedinst has not publicly commented on the charges. Her lawyer, if she has retained one, has not been named. The investigation is ongoing, and further charges depend on the lab results and the findings of investigators.
