Cameron Berry sits with his wife, Paula, at the Central Baptist Church, 9419 95 St., yesterday. He holds a photo of Rachel, Lizyanet and Colin Berry. Colin and Rachel, Cameron’s brother and niece, were killed in a road accident on Tuesday. (DAVID BLOOM/SUN MEDIA)

EDMONTON -- Tim Willson spent Saturday afternoon helping his longtime friend Colin Berry map out his route from Edmonton to Toronto, where he would fly home to Turkey with his wife and daughter.

But the Berry family never made it to Toronto. A horrific highway crash in North Dakota killed 43-year-old Colin, his 11-year-old daughter Rachel and sent Colin's wife Lizyanet, also 43, to hospital with internal injuries.

"They were at our house on Saturday for breakfast before they drove off Sunday. Colin and I Googled the trip while they were here. That was the last time I saw them," said Willson, who met Colin at Central Baptist Church.

Now family, friends and church members are rallying around Lizyanet who is heartbroken over the death of her husband and little girl. Some are en route to North Dakota to be by her side, Willson said.

North Dakota Highway Patrol officers said the family of three was on Interstate 29 in Grandin, N.D. in their minivan Tuesday at about 8:05 a.m. when the vehicle inexplicably crossed three southbound lanes into the path of an oncoming transport truck.

Colin, who was driving the van, and Rachel, who was sitting in the rear passenger seat, were killed in the crash.

Lizyanet was taken by air to hospital in nearby Fargo with serious internal injuries where she underwent surgery and is now in stable condition.

The 61-year-old truck driver from Jamestown, N.D., was not injured.

Police don't believe alcohol or speed contributed to the crash.

The Berry family was originally from Edmonton but moved to Istanbul a number of years ago to immerse themselves in the culture and serve within the small Christian community there.

"They really loved Istanbul, the culture, the food and they have lots of friends there," said Willson, adding Colin and Lizyanet had met in Turkey while travelling.

The family had already experienced tragedy when their second child, a baby daughter, died shortly after she was born several years back.

They spent this summer visiting family and friends in Edmonton and headed out Sunday for Toronto to catch a flight back to Turkey.

Friends and family gathered yesterday afternoon at Central Baptist Church where the Berrys were members.

"This is hard to handle, hard to take," said Colin's younger brother Cameron Berry, 40, tearfully.

"I miss my brother unbelievably, my niece, and I wish I could be with (Colin's wife) Lizyanet right now. I'm really at a loss on how to handle it, how to deal with it."

Cameron said Rachel was a bubbly young girl who took after her mother. "She was stubborn, liked to have her way but not in a bad way. I missed a lot of her growing up but from what I've seen, she was raised very well," he said.

"I feel bad that I don't have the opportunity to watch her grow up anymore."

Willson said Rachel would correspond with his daughters through email and send them packages from Turkey containing gifts such as handmade hairbands.

Cameron called Colin a "loving man" who was always there to lend a hand. He said he was in awe when he discovered how many people his brother had helped or influenced as he got call after call from people offering their condolences.

CLARA.HO@SUNMEDIA.CA