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5-year-old killed in Jackson County car accident

BY LINDA RUSH, THE SOUTHERN

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 7:43 AM CDT

JACKSON COUNTY - Sometimes even a child's protective car seat isn't enough to prevent a tragedy.

A 5-year-old boy, Jayden Lee Eubanks, was killed Monday afternoon when a car overturned off Town Creek Road about six miles southwest of Murphysboro at the Big Muddy Levee Road.

"The child was killed at the time of impact as the result of a head injury," said Jackson County Coroner Tom Kupferer. The accident was reported at 3:31 p.m.; Kupferer was notified at 3:55 and on the scene by 4 p.m., and by 4:10 had pronounced the child dead, he said. The boy was still secured in the seat, but "the roof was crushed in" when the car landed upside-down on the large rocks used as riprap near the levee, the coroner said.

Sgt. Michael O'Leary of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department said the accident occurred when Miguel Castaneda, 18, of Swansea was driving a 1992 Honda Accord westbound. He lost control, skidded off the south side of the road, then overturned down a stone embankment. The vehicle rolled over several times.

Castaneda was not injured. The front seat passenger, Sarah Castaneda-Hernandez, 20, of Gorham, identified by Kupferer as the child's mother, was taken to St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro with what police called non-life-threatening injuries. Both were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash, the report said.

Castaneda was arrested and charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving while license suspended, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and operating a vehicle with a suspended registration. He posted bond and was released.

The boy's mother told Kupferer nothing seemed unusual just before the accident; in fact, she had been reading a magazine when she felt the car suddenly jerk, then go out of control and roll over.

The sheriff's department was assisted at the scene by Illinois State Police, Murphysboro Police, the Jackson County Ambulance Service and the Murphysboro/Pomona/Somerset Fire Department.

Investigation of the accident is continuing.

Jayden was born June 21, 2002. He lived with his mother and her husband, Sergio Hernandez, in Gorham, Kupferer said.

Funeral arrangements for the child are pending at the Lutz & Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna.

- Marilyn Halstead of The Southern contributed to this story.

linda.rush@thesouthern.com / 351-5079