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Community Comes Together for Victims of Deadly Crash

COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP — A community in the Poconos is coming together to help the families involved in a deadly crash on Interstate 80 Friday evening. A box ...

COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP -- A community in the Poconos is coming together to help the families involved in a deadly crash on Interstate 80 Friday evening.

A box truck heading east crossed into the westbound lanes near Tannersville. The truck slammed into a car. The driver of the truck died along with a young brother and sister in the car.

Community members in the Poconos are doing all they can to help support the Rutkowski family. The family lost two children in Friday night's crash near Tannersville.

The family's oldest son, who was not in the car, is now getting support from his brothers and sisters in uniform.

If you ask Denise Doremus about Alesky Demitriev, or "Alek" as they call him, she would only be able to tell you good things. That's why she's devastated that he is dealing with the unthinkable.

Alek lost two siblings in the deadly crash on Interstate 80 near Tannersville on Friday -- Andrea Rutkowski,14, and Sammy Rutkowski, 12.

His parents and another sibling are still in the hospital.

"Alek is an amazing person," said Doremus. "He is a very, very, very hard worker, very close with his family."

Alek is an EMT at Pocono Mountain Regional EMS in Tobyhanna. He wasn't working the night of the crash. He was at training.

Doremus says this crash is difficult for many people to process.

"The tragic accident itself, just going to any type of accident like that is truly horrific for all of us."

Alek works in the field of saving lives. He's an EMT, a lifeguard, a police officer, and volunteer firefighter in Coolbaugh Township.

Township Fire Lieutenant Tomas Keane is heartbroken; not only does he work with Alek, his kids were friends with one of the children who died.

"We are here for you," said Lt. Keane. "Whatever you want, we are here. It's tough."

A candlelight vigil is set to take place behind the Mount Pocono municipal building along School Street in Mount Pocono at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Friends and family will be coming together to grieve for those they lost and pray for those still recovering.

Neighbors who live near Alek and the Rutkowskis in A Pocono Country Place also grieve. One says he understands the pain because he lost his son in a crash last month.

"My heart just goes out to them. I can't express it enough and I feel for them, honestly," said Jeff Maiorana.

In addition to the community support, there is also a donation set up for the Rutkowski family. A GoFundMe page to help pay for medical bills and funeral expenses has been set up. It's reached more than $20,000 of its $30,000 goal.

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