A former Eastern student died in a car crash Sunday while heading home for his father’s birthday after visiting Charleston .

Jason Langenbahn, 23, originally of Lenexa, Kan., left Charleston at 9 a.m. to attend his father’s birthday party. He was northbound on Illinois 121 when he lost control of his vehicle approaching a large turn about five miles north of Mount Pulaski, Logan County Coroner Chuck Fricke said.

Langenbahn’s car veered to the right and, in trying to save himself from a crash, he overcompensated the opposite way. That flipped his car about five times, ejecting him from the vehicle. Fricke said about three to four people stopped to help Langenbahn, one of whom was CPR certified and trying to revive him when paramedics arrived.

Langenbahn was pronounced dead at 11:19 Sunday morning. Fricke said he died of a ruptured aorta sustained in the crash.

Since Langenbahn’s car was found 600 feet from the road, Fricke said speed was probably a factor in the accident.

Furthermore, Fricke said Langenbahn’s family thinks he feel asleep while driving because he had been working 60 hours per week and was up earlier than usual that day.

Langenbahn was not wearing his seat belt and the front of his vehicle was not damaged.

Fricke said if he were wearing his seat belt he may have survived.

Services will be held today at 10 a.m. at Holy Family Church in Lincoln where Langenbahn was a member.

Langenbahn was living in Lincoln and had graduated from Eastern this summer with a degree in journalism. He was also an editor at The Daily Eastern News during the summers of 2001 and 2002.

Ben Tully, senior journalism major and the DEN’s 2002 summer editor for whom Langenbahn was administration editor, remembers him as quiet and introspective, but also quick to laugh.

“I took the liberty to pry and make him open up,” Tully said. “And I found out we’re both a lot alike. When I pried some, I found I could make him laugh pretty easily.”

Tully said Langenbahn explained that he was quiet in high school too, but spent a lot of time thinking.

James Tidwell, a journalism professor and Langenbahn’s adviser, also remembers him as quiet.

“He stayed in the background,” Tidwell said. “He was never showy.”

Although Langenbahn rarely spoke up in class, Tidwell said he was “a solid student.”

Langenbahn is survived by his parents Jerald and Janet Ruenzi Langenbahn; two sisters Christy (Ryan) Colerick of Lenexa and Julie Langenbahn of Jacksonville; and his maternal grandmother Dorothy Ruenzi of Lincoln. He is preceded in death by his maternal grandfather Joe Ruenzi and paternal grandparents Howard and Jenetta Langenbahn.

Langenbahn was born on February 28, 1979. He was a graduate of Lincoln Community High School and enjoyed music, writing, tennis and photography.

Memorials may be made to Eastern’s journalism department, Carroll Catholic School in Lincoln or Holy Family Church.