Funeral today for Tioga carjacking crash victims

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Three children who were struck and killed by a carjacked vehicle in the Tioga section of Philadelphia will be laid to rest Monday.

Funeral services for 15-year-old Keiearra Williams, 9-year-old Joseph Reed and 7-year-old Terrence Moore began at 11:00 a.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in North Philadelphia.

The children were killed on the morning of July 25th after a carjacked SUV went out of control at the corner of Germantown and West Allegheny Avenues and struck them.

The youngsters were helping their mother, 34-year-old Keisha Williams, and 65-year-old Thelma Brown sell fruit to raise money for their church.

North Philadelphia resident Victoria Lawson tells us, "This could have been my children. So I tried to be there to support the family, show love, show comfort, and just let them know that they're not alone."

The service program describes just a little of their short lives. 15-year-old Keiearra Williams loved to read and draw. She was headed to high school. Her brother Joseph Reed was known as "Joe-Joe", cheerful and enjoyed riding his bike. And the youngest, Terrence Moore, was the precious baby boy who loved basketball and cartoons.

Tawanna Taylor of North Philadelphia says, "It was just so sad because they was so young, just trying to do God's work."

City officials, including the mayor, the city council president, and the sheriff, were on-hand to pay their respects.

The mother of the children was seriously injured in the crash and remains at the hospital. She has two surviving daughters.

A family statement reads in part:

"There are so many questions we have no answers to...our tears seem to never end. Our hearts are completely broken. We lost three of our children. Their laughs, their smiles, their voices are gone."

Gail Blackman of North Philadelphia says, "The family and the mother - she is going to need everybody's love to get through this, and everybody's prayers. My heart goes out to them."

The family has thanked Charles Barkley, the NBA legend and former 76er who heard about this case and offered to pay for the funerals for these three children.

The children will be laid to rest this afternoon in Delaware County.

Jonathan Rosa, 19, and Cornelius Crawford, 22, are charged with 3 counts of murder and other offenses in the deaths of the three children.

They face a list of additional charges, including sexual assault, in connection with the carjacking that led to the children's deaths.