A child was airlifted after a car crossed the center-line on Cookeville Highway Thursday afternoon and slammed into his uncle’s truck, causing it to flip over a guard rail and roll over.

The injured youth, a 12-year-old boy, was airlifted from the scene by helicopter and flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment of injuries.

According to highway patrol reports, the child was a backseat passenger in a vehicle driven by his uncle, Abraham Andres, 38, of Cookeville. They along with fellow passenger Christopher Watson, 41, of Lebanon were heading north (away from Smithville) on Cookeville Highway in his 2004 Chevy pickup when they were met by the oncoming 2016 Nissan Sentra driven by Jeremy Burnsides of Cookeville. Trooper Chris Delong’s investigation revealed Burnsides crossed the center-line while negating a curve near the old Cherry Hill Community Center toward Silver Point and ran head-long into the oncoming pickup.

The impact knocked the truck over the guard rail where it came to rest on its side. The car spun and remained in the highway.

Watson was taken by ambulance to Cookeville Regional Medical Center while Burnsides were cited for failure to use due care.