SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — “He was very selfless and came from a great family. He was loved by so many people and he could make
Friends anywhere.” On Easter Sunday, Reino Jared Kerttula was tragically killed in a traffic accident on I-15 . He, his wife, and three of their children were on their way to St. George for spring break when a deer walked into the road just outside of Cedar City. “Just instinctively, he swerved to miss it and it caused the vehicle to turn sideways,” Kerttula’s brother-in-law Jeff Aiken told ABC4 in an exclusive interview. “[The car] went through the median and crossed into northbound lanes of traffic and came to a rest.” Immediately after the crash, Kerttula was able to free himself from the wreck. His first instinct was to help his family. He was able to help his wife out of the car and was in the process of getting his 10-year-old daughter out to safety when an oncoming car struck him. “I don’t know if they didn’t see [the wreck] or what but [the other driver] had to swerve to miss it and hit him,” said Aiken. Kertulla was taken to the hospital by Life Flight where he was intensive care for two days before he passed away. Aiken said his brother-in-law is already sorely missed by the whole family. “He was a great a guy [who] always wanted to help people out,” recalled Aiken. “One of those guys if you ever needed anything you could call him and he would be there. Very dependable.” Aiken described Kertulla as the “family jokester.” He loved playing with his kids, nieces, and nephews. Aiken said he was loved by so many people and could make friends anywhere and everywhere. “We would go camping and within hours he would make friends with all the people from different campsites around us,” said Aiken. “He was just a very likable guy and very outgoing.” Aiken told ABC4 the rest of the Kertulla family were all “physically OK” and are back home resting after brief stays in the hospital. They suffered some minor injuries such as broken bones and lacerations requiring a few surgeries. In the wake of the tragic accident, Aiken set up a GoFundMe to help Kertulla’s family. Aiken said between the mountain of medical bills from the multiple surgeries and hospital stays for the family and needing a new car, Kertulla’s surviving family will need some financial help. Within two days of being created, the GoFundMe raised over $35,000. As of Friday morning, it was nearing its the halfway mark to its $75,000 goal. Aiken wrote in the post that the funds raised will help the Kertulla family get back on their feet and would mean the world to them during this difficult time. If you would like to donate to support the family, you can do so on the GoFundMe page found here .