Howell 5-Year-Old, Dad Killed, Mother, 2 Others Hurt In GWB Crash: Police

FORT LEE, NJ — A Howell Township father and his 5-year-old daughter have died as a result of a crash on the George Washington Bridge Wednesday night that sent three other family members to the hospital, police said Thursday.

Five-year-old Marianna Pedercini and her father, Hector Pedercini, 50, of Howell, were pronounced dead at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York, Port Authority Police said.

Hector's wife, Mariella Pedercini, 40, their 1-year-old child, whose name was not released, and her mother, 64-year-old Elda Lainez, also of Howell, were injured in the crash and they too were taken to Columbia Presbyterian, police said.

Police said the crash occurred when the family's GMC Acadia struck the back of a 2008 International box truck that was stopped in the left lane on the eastbound upper level on the New York side of the bridge shortly before 9 p.m.

The 59-year-old driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured, police said. The crash remains under investigation.

Reported by Daniel Hubbard (Patch Staff) Image via Shutterstock

This article was updated to correct the age of Hector Pedercini and to correct the type of truck to a box truck. -- Karen