One child remains in hospital

One child remained hospitalized Monday, a family prepared to bury two cousins, and a mother is in jail on drunken driving charges following an accident in Silver Springs last week that injured six other children.

Zachary Saylor, 11, was listed in fair condition at Washoe Medical Center in Reno.

His mother, Kim Kautz, 31, was being held in the Lyon County Jail on two counts of drunken driving causing death and four counts of drunken driving causing great bodily injury. Her bail is $250,000.

Kautz's pickup was headed north on Tuesday about 4:35 p.m. on U.S. 95 Alternate in Silver Springs with seven children in the open bed and two in the cab when she overturned the truck, investigators said.

None of the occupants was wearing a seat belt. All were ejected.

Police officers allege Kautz told them she had been drinking.

Dani Jo Baker, 11, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was pronounced dead at the crash scene. Jennifer O'Brien, 14, died shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday at Washoe Medical Center.

Pastor Dick Cervi, of the First Baptist Church in Silver Springs where the children attended youth programs, said a memorial service is planned Thursday at Silver Stage Middle School in the gymnasium.

The church has been collecting donations of food and money for the families of the children. Seven of the nine children involved were cousins. Their mothers are sisters.

Also injured were Jennifer's brother, Cody, 14 and their 2-year-old sister Shaelyn Keep; Dani Jo's siblings, Destiny Baker, 14 and Dakota Baker, 12, Zachary Saylor, 11, Clinton Cleiglow, 12, and Randi Beal, 15.

Cervi said the outpouring from Silver Springs is great, but he has received little response from outlying areas.

"We've received a couple thousand dollars in cash donations and a lot of food. All of those things have been coming pretty much out of Silver Springs, we've had a few mail-in (cash) donations from Carson City."

He said because the children injured are mostly from the same extended family, the financial strain is especially hard.

"When the kids came home from the hospital, there were no bandages or salves at the house and their skins are all scraped to shreds," he said. "The parents also had to take off from work and commute to the hospital in Reno. We are giving them money to help."

Cervi said two burial plots and funeral costs have been donated, but sustaining medications for the injured children is costly.

"I think with one more big (donation) push, they should be OK," he said.

A Silver Springs woman has launched a petition drive aimed at prohibiting children from riding in the bed of pickup trucks.

Julie Leach circulated petitions Sunday at the Faith Baptist Church where some members said they wished the proposed ban would extend to all people regardless of age.

According to Nevada Law, in cities with populations less than 100,000, it is legal to ride in the bed of a pickup truck. Drivers can, however, be cited for child endangerment.

Leach said she wants state legislators to prohibit all children from riding in the bed of pickups.

"The accident broke my heart. I don't want another family to go through this," Leach said. "I want to get (children) out of the back of pickups and into the cab where they can buckle up."

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: Memorial Service for Dani Jo Baker and Jessica O'Brien

WHEN: 4 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Silver Stage Middle School Gymnasium

3800 Spruce Ave. (Corner of Spruce and Highway 50 East)

Silver Springs, Nev.

YOU CAN HELP:

Send donations to

Nine Kids

c/o First Baptist Church

5715 Elm St., Box 996

Silver Springs, 89429

577-9600