By Kim Hilsenbeck

A local family is dealing with the tragic results from a rollover accident  that took the life of eight-year-old Lane Witherspoon. His older brother’s life now hangs in the balance as the family deals with the aftermath of the accident.

Lane and his brother Jason Witherspoon, 9, were in their mother Michelle’s SUV late on the morning of Dec. 7 on their way back from Smithville to San Marcos when things went terribly wrong.

“The boys were fighting in the backseat and took their seatbelts off,” step-grandmother, Debby Brewington of Buda, said recently. “Michelle turned around to tell them to stop. That’s when she drifted and then overcorrected.”

In a Facebook post to family and friends, Brewington wrote, “Mike [Brewington] and I lost our precious 8 year old grandson, Lane Witherspoon, on Sunday. Michelle Witherspoon, Mike’s daughter, and her 4 children were involved in a terrible car accident. Lane was killed on the scene.”

The life of young Lane Witherspoon, 8, was short. His step-grandmother said he was very quiet and sweet.

“He had a very sweet nature about him,” she said in a recent interview. “He was a heavy reader and he loved to build and create.”

She said he loved Legos, Tinker Toys and coloring.

Lane was a third-grader at Crockett Elementary School in San Marcos.

While reeling from what Brewington called the traumatic loss of Lane, the family was also worried about his brother, Jason, she said.

Last week, he was in critical condition at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin.

“He had head trauma, possible brain damage, broken legs, sternum, ribs, neck and torso,” she said. “He has a shunt in his brain to drain the fluid.”

She said doctors put the boy into an induced coma because of severe pain from the injuries.

Brewington’s step-daughter, Michelle, suffered a broken collarbone, fractured ribs and a fractured neck.

“She was released from the hospital [Dec. 9],” Brewington said.

The oldest boy, Curtis Wilson, 16, suffered several broken ribs and was released a day earlier.

A two-year-old girl, Kenadie, was the least injured person in the accident, according to Brewington, who said the girl had cuts, scrapes and abrasions. She was released from the hospital the same day as the accident.

Brewington said friends established a fund to help Michelle with funeral expenses and Jason’s medical expenses. The link is http://www.gofundme.com/ifigr4.

“Any assistance will be greatly appreciated by the family,” she said.

Lane Witherspoon’s funeral was held Dec. 13 in Bastrop.