PITTSBURGH -- The father of a North Carolina family died Tuesday morning in Mercy Hospital, one day after a collision with a tractor-trailer killed his wife and their children.
Kenneth Kerr, 35, of Smithfield, N.C., had managed to escape the family's car after it went under the truck on Route 8 in Slippery Rock, Butler County. He was flown to the hospital with extensive burns.
The rest of the Kerrs -- Janet, 35; Kathleen, 13; and Kenneth, 4 -- died at the scene, as did Alessandra Hall, 16, who is Janet Kerr's daughter from a previous marriage.
State police said the family had apparently been visiting relatives in the Pittsburgh area over the Independence Day holiday.
Trooper Rob Lagoon said the victims' car was heading south on Route 8 in Slippery Rock around 2 p.m. Monday when it collided with the truck, which had blown a stop sign while traveling east on Branchton Road.
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Witnesses said the car was pulled under the truck (as seen at right). Fire broke out after the collision.
The truck driver -- Ejub Grcic, 45, of West Valley, Utah -- is charged with homicide by vehicle, reckless driving and other traffic violations.
Grcic (pictured, left), who police said does not speak English, is being held in Butler County Jail on $500,000 bail. A Croatian translator assisted authorities at his arraignment via telephone.
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Fiery Route 8 Crash
