Local 18-year-old dies in traffic accident

Carbondale police are investigating a fatal crash that left a local 18-year-old dead on Saturday morning.

Police found a single vehicle, fully engulfed in flames, after responding to the intersection of Bigler Road and East Walnut Street about 3:11 a.m. Saturday. 

After firefighters extinguished the flames, police found the driver, Ethan J. Baker, of Carbondale, in the vehicle. He was pronounced dead on scene. 

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SIU spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith said a student by the name Ethan J. Baker — a freshman studying biological science, according to SIU people finder — is enrolled at the university, but could not confirm if it is the same person involved in the crash.

Carbondale police spokesperson Sgt. Cory Kemp and Carbondale Police Chief Jeff Grubbs could not be reached for comment. 

The Daily Egyptian’s campus desk can be reached at 618-536-3325 or [email protected].

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