ESCANABA — Fundraising efforts were launched to assist the children of an Escanaba couple killed in a three-vehicle crash Friday in Delta County’s Garden Township.

Gerald Weaver, 47, and his wife, 46-year-old Tara Weaver, were pronounced dead at the site of the crash on U.S. 2 near the Fishdam River.

They were the parents of three children, according to Ian Valentine of Escanaba, organizer of a GoFundMe page set up to assist the couple’s family.

According to a Michigan State Police news release, troopers from the Gladstone Post were sent to the crash at 3:55 p.m. Eastern time Friday, finding multiple vehicles and injuries. Several EMS agencies were dispatched and first aid was immediately rendered, the release states.

U.S. 2 was closed during the investigation.

Troopers learned through their investigation that a white Toyota SUV and a black Chevrolet SUV were eastbound on U.S. 2 while approaching a westbound semitrailer, the release stated. The semi lost control and drifted toward the north side of the highway, according to the report.

The truck attempted to correct this by steering toward the south side of the highway, at which time it crossed the center line into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with the white Toyota SUV.

The Weavers were in the white SUV, troopers said. The couple reportedly was en route to their son’s basketball game when the crash occurred.

After the impact, the trailer portion of the semi remained in the roadway and the black Chevrolet SUV struck the rear end. The driver of the Chevrolet SUV, a 38-year-old male from Oshkosh, Wis., was pinned inside the vehicle and needed extrication to remove him. He suffered multiple broken bones.

The driver of the semi truck was from Canada and was not injured.

Two additional vehicles collided as they attempted to stop at the crash site. This involved another semitrailer and a passenger vehicle. No injuries were sustained in the secondary crash.

Assisting agencies included troopers from the Manistique Outpost as well as commercial vehicle enforcement officers from the MSP St. Ignace Post. Other agencies included the Delta County Sheriff’s Office, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Rampart EMS, Manistique EMS, Inwood Township Fire/EMS, Thompson Township Fire, Nahma Township Fire, Garden Township Fire, Gene’s Towing and the Delta County Road Commission.

Speed and driving too fast for conditions are considered to be factors in the crash, which remains under investigation, troopers said.

As of 7 p.m. Monday, the Weaver family GoFundMe page had reached $59,000 of its $100,000 goal. Eagles Club 1088 of Escanaba had a fundraising breakfast Sunday.

In a news release, Krist Oil on Monday said all of its Upper Peninsula convenience store locations will donate to the Weaver family 5 cents per gallon of regular gasoline sold Friday.