Wake Held For Teaneck Family Killed In Crash

TEANECK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A wake was held Friday for a New Jersey father and his four daughters killed in a crash last month.

On July 6, police said 61-year-old Audie Trinidad and his daughters -- 20-year-old Kaitlyn, 17-year-old Danna and 13-year-old twins Melissa and Allison -- were killed when a pickup truck crossed a highway median in Delaware, crashing into their minivan. Only their mother, Mary Rose, survived.

It's taken five weeks for her to find the strength to plan her family's wake and funeral, all the while fighting to recover both physically and mentally.

"She's in a lot of pain... but she wants them to be laid to rest, because it's been more than a month now," said her brother-in-law Daniel Trinidad. 

Delaware State Police say they are still investigating the crash. So far, no charges have been filed against the pickup truck driver. Police say that might take 12 to 16 weeks.

That's not soon enough for Mary Rose, who spoke to CBS2 two weeks ago from Kessler Institute in Saddle Brook.

"All my broken bones and injuries will heal but not the unbearable pain my heart," she said. "Now that they're all gone, I have nothing to look forward to but justice for them."

The family is from the Philippines but has lived in Teaneck for two decades.

"If they're watching from above, I hope that they love me and I love them, and I hope they can continue on living with me," said Nicole Yildirim, who's known the 13-year-old twins since preschool.

Family, friends and strangers are rallying behind Mary Rose. Nearly $300,000 have been donated to a GoFundMe account to help pay for the funeral and medical expenses.

The family has always been very close and says this kind of tragedy could happen to anyone.

"Love your family. You never know, the next day, they might be here, the next thing you know, they're all gone, like what happened to them," Daniel Trinidad said. "In a blink of an eye, they're all gone now."

Mary Rose may have to undergo more surgeries and will likely need to stay at Kessler Institute for several more months.

A funeral service is set for Saturday at Fairleigh Dickinson University.