Infant ejected from SUV in Highway 99 rollover accident found safe in car seat carrier
A 6-week old Turlock baby was ejected from a Cadillac Escalade as it rolled down an embankment off Highway 99 on Sunday evening.
Incredibly, he was found safe in his car seat along the shoulder of the southbound lanes, just north of West Main Avenue in Turlock, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The single-vehicle crash happened at about 7:30 p.m., when the driver of the Cadillac, 29-year-old Ulizes Benitez, for unknown reasons made a sharp right turn from the center lane.
The Cadillac traveled across another lane and down an embankment, where it overturned several times.
Emergency personnel found the infant along the roadway, still strapped in his carrier and with no visible injuries, according to the CHP.
“This child is very fortunate,” said CHP officer Thomas Olsen. “This is an unusual and rare circumstance were the child is ejected from the vehicle and appears to be unharmed.”
Olsen said the base of the infant’s rear facing car seat was improperly secured with the car’s seat belt.
The child’s older brother, who turns 2 this month, was also in a car seat in the vehicle but was not ejected. He too had no visible injuries but both were flown to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento as a precaution. They were listed in good condition on Monday, according to a hospital spokesman.
Benitez and the woman in the front seat, 29-year-old Cynthia Canedo, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Modesto hospitals.
Drugs or alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash. The cause remains under investigation.
Olsen encourages people with children to get their car seats checked to ensure they are being used correctly. Follow Safe Kids Stanislaus on Facebook or Instagram for locations of upcoming care seat inspection events or schedule one at the Modesto CHP office by calling 209-545-7440.
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 10:25 AM.
