MT. PLEASANT, Pa. — An 11-year-old boy, accompanying his father on "Take Your Child to Work Day," was killed in a crash Thursday on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The crash happened just after 2 p.m. It is unclear what caused the crash, but a Nissan Frontier struck the back of a tractor-trailer, police said. The Nissan went under the rear of the trailer.
The Westmoreland County coroner identified the boy as Hayden M. Field.
Field's father was thrown from the vehicle and was flown to a hospital.
"One of the other workers on the turnpike that knows me real well called me on the phone and told me, 'please please expedite.' He says, 'it's one of our workers,'" said Jerry Lucia of the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department.
That longtime turnpike worker brought his son to work with him Thursday.
"You cannot explain it in other words other than a good boy with his father to learn his father's job," Lucia said.
It was their special day.
"It was father-son day. It was children's day to go to work with their parents. He was showing them what they do. It's just devastating," Lucia said.
The eastbound lanes were closed until about 7 p.m. during the investigation and cleanup.