6-year-old thrown from car during Burke County crash

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — A 6-year-old girl was thrown from an SUV during a wreck Wednesday afternoon in Burke County, officials said.

The crash happened in front of Drowning Creek Fire Department. Ricky Conger, a firefighter, stepped outside when he heard the crash and told reporter Dave Faherty he saw something he would never forget.

"When (the SUV) came to a stop, it looked like she was shot out of a cannon," he said. "She just flew straight out the window."

The mother of the girl, Christy Arnett, was charged with DWI, reckless driving and child restraint violation.

Investigators said the mother lost control of the SUV, causing it to overturn at least twice before it hit a power pole. The child was thrown from the vehicle because she wasn't buckled up.

"This kid is in bad shape," Jeff Baker, with the North Carolina Highway Patrol, said. "There's no sense in that. My kids knew from an early age to always be restrained."

Troopers said Arnett had taken medication Wednesday morning for treatment of previous drug abuse and also admitted to having Xanax and marijuana in her system.

Firefighters found the 6-year-old girl face down in a drainage ditch. The mother climbed out of the SUV on her own and the firefighters said she blamed the child for the wreck.

The girl was taken to Mission Memorial Hospital in Asheville.

Cox Media Group