Mother of daughter hit by truck at tailgate speaks out

SALEM, Mass. -- The mother of the woman who was run over and killed while tailgating before a recent Harvard-Yale football game spoke out for the first time about her daughter.

Nancy Berry and two other women were struck by a U-Haul truck, according to police. Berry died from her injuries.

“It took people over an hour and a half for people to get into the funeral home to pay their respects. My daughter, she was a talented, beautiful young lady,” said Paula St. Pierre, Berry’s mother.

Berry’s mother spoke of her daughter from her Salem, Mass. home.

The crash is still under investigation. Police said a Yale student was driving the truck with it sped up and struck the tailgaters.

The student’s attorney has blamed the truck for malfunctioning. Now Connecticut’s junior senator is calling on the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide more oversight of the rental truck industry.

“The tragic episode and accident clearly raises the question as to whether uniform federal standards should be applied nationwide,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

St. Pierre said there isn’t one answer. She doesn’t blame any one person or group for what happened, but she said many different actions led to the tragedy.

The driver of the truck is not facing charges at this time.

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