Houston police officers said a black Cadillac hit a curb and slid into a ditch, striking a tower for high tension power lines and causing it to lean and appear compromised.
Firefighters spent about 20 minutes cutting the driver from the wreckage.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital where he is in critical condition.
Upon further investigation, officials learned that the Cadillac and a red Corvette were racing when the Cadillac skidded off the road and hit the tower.
Officers said a 9-year-old was in the Cadillac when it crashed, but the driver of the Corvette took the child out of the car and brought them home. The Corvette driver later took the child to a hospital.
Authorities said the child is stable at the hospital.
It is currently unclear whether the drivers knew one another.