Child falls out of car, two held

Does anyone know how the child is? what has happened to the adults?

The child was flown to Vanderbilt and is doing ok. The adults were charged, dont know if they are still in jail.

who are the adults?

i think the adults should have the punishment of what the child had to go through then they should be beaten slowly til they are breathless

Child falls out of car, two held
Mary Jo Denton
Herald-Citizen Staff
Friday, Sep 12, 2008
PUTNAM COUNTY -- A two-year-old child was seriously injured when he fell out of a moving car in Baxter last night, and two adults who allegedly failed to seek medical care for him are in jail today.

Arrested at his residence after the incident was Richard Dale Stafford, 56, of Cummings Mill Road, Gainesboro. Allegedly, he was a passenger in the car from which the child fell. He is charged with aggravated child abuse.

Sandy Sprong, 39, of H. Warren Lane, Cookeville, allegedly the driver of the car and reportedly the grandmother of the child, is in the Jackson County jail this morning, where she is charged with reckless endangerment, DUI, and evading arrest. She also faces charges in Putnam County, according to Deputy Tony Branch.

The two-year-old boy fell out of a car Sprong was driving on Highway 56 in Baxter last night about 8:30, Deputy Branch said.

And the car kept going, while witnesses ran to help the child, he said.

But then the Sprong car came back, and an occupant of that car snatched the child out of the arms of the rescuers and fled the scene, the report says. Jackson County Sheriff's deputies pursued the vehicle, but lost sight of it, and then later located it at Stafford's residence.

Here is a portion of Deputy Branch's report:

"I heard dispatch advise Baxter Police Officer Jeremy Laycock that a white Chevy Cobalt was traveling north on Highway 56 and they advised that a small child had fallen out of the vehicle and that the vehicle had continued to travel north. A short time later, dispatch advised that the vehicle had come back and picked up the child and continued to travel north on Highway 56.

"Officer Laycock was unable to locate the car, and dispatch said Jackson County Sheriff's deputies were in pursuit of the vehicle in Jackson County."

The Jackson deputies lost sight of the vehicle, but continued searching for it. Meanwhile, Deputy Branch and other officers interviewed witnesses who saw the child fall. Here is what they said, according to the report:

"They advised they were at the red light at the intersection of Highway 56 and 1st Ave. North and observed a white Chevy Cobalt in front of them. They said they noticed a child opening and shutting the back passenger side door. The Chevy then ran the red light and turned left onto Highway 56.

"They said they saw the back passenger side door open and the child fell out of the vehicle. They said the Chevy continued to travel north and never slowed down."

The witnesses, a man and a woman, stopped and jumped out to help the child, picking him up off the roadway, and another witness, a man on a motorcycle, went after the Chevy, the report says.

"The baby had injuries (scrapes) to the head," the report says.

The Chevy car then returned to the scene and a woman who appeared to be in her 50's got out of the car and "jerked the baby out of the witness' hands and put the baby back into the car and sped off again, traveling north on Highway 56," the report says.

Later, Jackson County deputies located the vehicle and arrested Sprong, the alleged driver. Putnam deputies arrested Stafford and brought him back to the Putnam jail and said Sprong will be charged here later.

The child was taken to Cookeville Regional Hospital and later airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Deputy Branch said.

The reports on file in this case in Putnam County today do not specify the child's relationship to Stafford and Sprong, but a warrant in Jackson County says the child is Sprong's grandson.

Deputy Branch's report says the child's parents are Calvin Reeves and Tonya Reeves.

Detective Jimmy Patterson is investigating the case.

froggie101 wrote:

who are the adults?

Very sad story. I hope this child will be ok and the adults are held responsible for their actions

I hope these people get in A LOT of trouble...this story is so mindblowing. Who in their right mind would just drive off when their child falls out of a car? I just can't believe this actually happened.

Sorry, but..

LOL!!
LOL!!
WTF?!

Oh man, it's so not funny, yet it is..

must a been a redneck with a pot pipe and a hooker all in the car didnt want the kids around ...so get out dumbass and when i get home im gonna your mom in the mouth

This lady still has not been punished for this crime. She is still working at CRMC walking the hospital everyday aroung children.

The guy is nothing but a drunk anybody who would let him around their kids is stupid. By the way I dont think he served much time at all. I see him almost everyday at my job, always drunk

I always put their seatbelts on and child locks then check the doors and I have always been known by my kids to say get your hands off that door I am very carefull I have a fear of this real bad

yep wrote:

I always put their seatbelts on and child locks then check the doors and I have always been known by my kids to say get your hands off that door I am very carefull I have a fear of this real bad

yeah me too. its my # 1 law in the car. i am glad it wasn't a tragedy.

Politically Incorrect wrote:

Sorry, but..
LOL!!
LOL!!
WTF?!
Oh man, it's so not funny, yet it is..

what is so funny to you. i bet you drunk too.

Guest wrote:

I hope these people get in A LOT of trouble...this story is so mindblowing. Who in their right mind would just drive off when their child falls out of a car? I just can't believe this actually happened.

I could tell you someone who would do it but I probably should keep her name to myself.

The baby is doing great.
And the adults are family.

wow wrote:

The baby is doing great.
And the adults are family.

You sound like the grandmother. She thinks that everythere is fine since she did not seriously hurt him. It's not the fact that he was or was not seriously hurt. It is the fact that she was drunk and did not have him in a car seat and when he fell out she did not seek medical help for him. She did not have the childs best welfare on her mind. All she cared about was getting away so she would not get arrested.

Just wondering wrote:

Does anyone know how the child is? what has happened to the adults?

The grandmother still has not been punished for this. The mother is in jail for drug charges. The baby is with the druggie muslim want of be dad while a friend of the mother plays the mommy role.

Why is he a muslim

Obviously because he converted.