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Kids thrown out, badly hurt in car crash By JILL BRISKEY A Talent brother and sister who were both flung from a car Monday because they weren't buckled up are listed in serious condition. The children were injured in a single-car accident on Dead Indian Memorial Road, milepost 20, at approximately 6 p.m. Their mother, 25-year-old Sara Holt of 220 W. Rapp Road No. 14, was wearing her seat belt and walked away from the scene with only minor injuries. Olivia Holt, 2, was taken to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland Monday night with a broken left femur and two skull fractures, Jackson County sheriff's deputies reported. A hospital spokeswoman said Olivia also suffered several broken facial bones. Jason Holt, 4, was taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center. According to police reports, Jason suffered lacerations, bumps and bruises. County traffic safety coordinator Greg Halley said Sara Holt lost control of her car when she tried to negotiate a downhill curve on wet pavement. Halley said Holt's car left the road and apparently began to fishtail. The car then spun 180 degrees, skidding between 50 and 60 feet, Halley said. Both children were ejected from the car, each landing on separate sides of a creek. The car came to a stop in the creek bed after hitting rocks and brush, Halley said. An unidentified motorist who spotted the family used a cell phone to contact police. Rescue crews from Ashland Fire Department took the family to Rogue Valley Medical Center. Halley said police are unsure what caused the accident. "We don't know what her speed was. We know that the car came around the corner and broke loose," Halley said. "It could have been any number of things." Halley said Holt did not have a child safety seat in her car. Only one seat belt in the back seat was working, and Jason was not wearing it. Sara Holt told police she wrapped one seat belt around Olivia and, because the proper latch was broken, secured the belt using a different buckle. However, Olivia might have removed the belt to lie down, Halley said. "The mother admitted to us that the child begged to take the belt off in order to lie down," Halley said. Oregon law requires that children must ride in safety seats until they are 4 years old and weigh 40 pounds. The law also states that children must be "properly secure," Halley said, which means that older children under the age of 8 or kids who weigh less than 80 pounds must ride in a booster seat Sara Holt was in violation of the law, he said. Following the investigation, Halley said the case will be referred to the Jackson County District Attorney's Office, which will determine if charges should be filed. Holt told deputies the family owned a car seat but it was installed in a vehicle that belonged to the children's father, who lives in Klamath Falls. Parents who cannot afford one can receive a child safety seat from the Jackson County Child Safety Seat Coalition for a $10 donation. Halley said he and safety seat coordinator Glenn Adams will also conduct free inspections for parents to ensure a safety seat is in working order and properly installed. The next safety seat clinic will be held July 14 at the Wal-Mart in Talent from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Halley at 774-6809 or Adams at 840-8746. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.