Car stuck in tree left 2 children, mom trapped in Charlotte after crash
A car with two children and their 29-year-old mother inside hung in a tree after it ran off the road early Friday, according to authorities. Photos from the Charlotte Fire Department’s Station 22 show the two-door car suspended on the tree, with only its rear wheels on the ground.
The single-car crash happened around 3:20 a.m., close to the Hemphill Heights neighborhood, along West Sugar Creek Road in northeast Charlotte. Charlotte Fire radio traffic indicates the car ran off the road near the intersection of West Sugar Creek and Christenbury roads, where it lodged into a tree.
Police cited the mother for not having the children in car seats, recklessly driving and having an open container in the car, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. There were no warrants for her arrest as of Monday afternoon, said CMPD spokesperson Michael Allinger.
When police arrived, someone was climbing out of the red car, an officer said over emergency radio communications accessed via Broadcastify. Three people were trapped in the vehicle, including a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old, Allinger said Monday.
Charlotte Fire reported the children were freed from the vehicle initially, but their mother was trapped. A crushed bumper balanced on a thin tree trunk while firefighters helped the woman.
While one child had minor injuries, Allinger said the other child had abdominal pain, and their mother was in the hospital.
The car appears to be a newer model Mustang.
Kallie Cox contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 28, 2023 at 12:12 PM.
