BOY, AGE 4, KILLED BY CAR IN DRIVEWAY; CAR-TRAIN ACCIDENT ALSO CLIAMS A LIFE

A child died after his parents' car ran over him in the driveway of their home here, and a man was killed when the truck he was driving was struck by a train near Cairo, Ill., authorities said.

Both of the accidents occurred Monday night.

The child was identified as Jeremiah James Webb, 2116 Big Bend Road.

Alexander County Coroner David Barkett identified the victim of the train accident as Edward C. "Red" Mays, 66, of Clinton, Ky.

Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Carpenter said the boy died of massive head injuries from the accident. His 3-year-old brother, who was playing in the vehicle, apparently got the car's gearshift out of park, authorities said.

Carpenter said the boy was pronounced dead at 8 p.m. at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

He was the son of James and Shelby Webb.

The accident occurred about 6:30 p.m. at the family's home, said Carpenter. Cape Girardeau Police Patrolman J.R. Davis, who worked the accident, said the car a 1979 Dodge Diplomat with automatic transmission had been parked on an incline under a covered carport.

The car, which ran backwards over the boy, had the key in the ignition, he said.

"The parents are not sure whether they left the keys in the car or the kids got the keys playing with them," Davis said.

Carpenter said, "The boys were outside playing and (the brother) decided he'd get in the car and play like he was driving, and unfortunately his brother got behind it.

"The parents parked it there like they have always parked it. You just don't think about your kids getting in and fooling with the ignition."

The boys' parents were both inside the home when the accident happened, Carpenter said. Davis said the car had torn down the carport.

Mays was the owner and president of Mays Towing Co., of Clinton, Ky. He was killed when the truck he was driving was struck broadside by a southbound Illinois Central freight train north of Cairo. A passenger in the vehicle escaped with only minor injuries.

Illinois State Police at Ullin said the accident occurred at 5:55 p.m., at the Illinois Central railroad crossing on the Redmon Road blacktop north of the Cairo airport. The road connects Illinois Route 3 with Highway 51.

Barkett said Mays had driven to Cape Girardeau earlier to pick up a crewman who had gotten off one of the company's towboats here, and was taking the employee to his residence on Highway 51 a few miles south of the Redmon Road-Highway 51 intersection.

The coroner said the impact of the collision ejected both men from the vehicle, which was knocked off the tracks and overturned.

Barkett said the crewman, Dwayne Ellingwood of Cairo Route 1, was taken by ambulance to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, where he was treated for minor injuries.

Mays was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:30 p.m. The body was taken to the coroner's office in Cairo, then to the Brown Funeral Home in Clinton.

Barkett said a coroner's inquest will be held in October.

Mays was a well-known river industry executive in the tri-state area. Although the company's offices were in Clinton, all of the Mays boats were serviced and operated out of Missouri Dry Dock and Repair Services shipyard at Cape Girardeau.

Mays did extensive tow work for Lone Star Industries of Cape Girardeau, towing their cement barges to other bulk terminals on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.