Victims of Potomac River truck crash were twin brothers, sister confirms
The tragic crash last week, where a truck plunged into the icy Potomac River, claimed the lives of twin brothers Jerel and Jerod Wert, according to their sister.
Nikki Windsor confirmed the identities of the victims with FOX 5 and shared details about her brothers' lives.
Twin's lives cut short after Arlington Memorial crash
Twin brothers from Chesapeake Beach, Maryland: Jerel Wert (L), and Jerod Wert (R). Photo via Nikki Windsor
Windsor said that Jerel Wert was in the passenger seat, while Jerod Wert was behind the wheel of the truck when it crashed into the river. She explained that the brothers, who are from Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, were on their way to a job in Washington, D.C. at the time of the accident.
Jerel worked as a carpenter, and Jerod was an HVAC mechanic.
Crash investigation
The backstory:
The crash occurred around 7 p.m. Thursday when the truck collided with another vehicle on the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The truck then veered into oncoming traffic before plunging into the icy river.
Recovery efforts
Divers and emergency crews worked overnight to recover the truck and the victims. The body of the driver, identified as Jerod Wert, was recovered from the river after the truck was pulled out last Friday. U.S. Park Police confirmed the recovery of the second body from the water.
Second body recovered after truck crash into icy Potomac River
U.S. Park Police confirms that a second body has been recovered from the icy waters of the Potomac River following a crash on Arlington Memorial Bridge Thursday night. The individual was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jerel Wert’s body was found the night before during the initial search.
Big picture view:
A dashcam video from eyewitness Nigisti Adane captured the moments leading up to the crash. Adane described the truck sinking rapidly after hitting the water.
"The truck went straight down. It looked like it went straight down," Adane said.
U.S. Park Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash and are calling for further eyewitness accounts and video footage to help determine what happened.
A minor injury was reported from the second vehicle involved in the crash, but the driver is expected to recover.
The Source: The information from this report comes from U.S. Park Police and the family of the victims.