KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Minnesota family who lost five members in a weekend motor-home crash on I-35 near Williamsburg have released pictures of the victims as authorities continue their investigation into the deadly crash.
Jessica Kerber, 10, James Kerber, 12, Joy Kerber, 14, Tom Kirber, 25, and Melissa Schoenbauer Kerber, 24, were killed in Osage County on Sunday morning when the motor home they were in broke through a guardrail and plunged 30 feet into a creek. Thirteen other people, many of them part of the Kerber family, were also injured in the wreck.
“We are releasing photos of our beloved deceased family members today to honor their lives and show the community what beautiful people they were,” said Russell Kerber in a statement released through Overland Park Regional Medical Center on Tuesday. “We will miss them dearly. Many families have been impacted by this tragedy and we ask that you keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.”
Previous Story: Five Dead in I-35 Wreck.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the vehicle – a Freightliner box truck set up with living quarters and towing a trailer – was being driven by 17-year-old Adam Kerber at the time of the wreck. He and his mother, Pauline Kerber, 46, remain hospitalized at Overland Park Regional Medical Center in critical condition.
Two other people remain hospitalized in serious condition, officials said.
The crash occurred as the family was returning to Minnesota from a motocross event in Texas. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are reviewing the accident, including looking at the laws that allowed Adam Kerber to drive the large, nearly 29-ton vehicle legally.
Friends have created a fund for the Kerber family:
Hometown Bank
Kerber Family Fund
101 South Creek Lane
Jordan, Minnesota 55352
(952) 492–5599
