4-year-old motorcycle passenger dies in crash; dad speaks out

A 4-year-old girl was killed in a semi-truck crash while riding on the back of a motorcycle in Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday.
The little girl, identified by family members as Breann Creer, was killed around 11 a.m. in the 10000 block of Sixth Street. She was riding on the back of the motorcycle belonging to her mother's boyfriend, identified by friends as Eric Henderson, when they collided with a big rig that was trying to make a U-turn, according to investigators.
The rider and the 4-year-old passenger were thrown off the bike. According to witnesses, the big rig had backed up over the girl's body. Cheri Slocumb had been at her desk working when she heard the crash."I ran and checked the baby's pulse, there's nothing," said Slocumb. "We could see the big rig. It was dragging the motorcycle."
The truck driver kept going until Slocumb and others flagged him down."I think he had no idea that he hit the motorcycle. We ran in front of the big rig. We stopped the big rig from going," said Slocumb.
The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Henderson suffered moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital. His friends say he has since been released."At this point, from what I can tell on the street, it doesn't appear to be any type of illegal maneuver. However, the major accident investigation team is going to determine the exact cause," said Cpl. Randy Naquin with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.Following the accident, the motorcyclist told those who ran to help that he tried to swerve and lay his bike down."It's just heartbreaking, very heartbreaking," said Slocumb.
The girl's father, Thomas Creer, says words cannot explain the pain he feels over the sudden loss of his daughter."It comes in waves, like a wave of emotions, you know, I've never felt before in my life," Creer told Eyewitness News in an exclusive interview.A family friend at the scene tells Eyewitness News that Henderson has been dating Breann's mom for about a year. The friend said Henderson had just picked up the girl from school and they live nearby.According to the friend, Henderson is blaming the truck driver for failing to signal and then making a U-turn in front of him.Creer says he believes the truck driver was negligent and says he doesn't blame his ex-wife's boyfriend, who was also a Marine like Creer."I don't think he would do anything intentionally to put her in harm's way at all," said Creer.
Creer says Henderson was like a second father to Breann and says he took all kinds of precautions to keep her safe on the motorcycle. Police say a child can legally ride on a motorcycle as long as they wear a helmet and can reach the passenger pegs on the bike.
Creer says he now has a hole in his heart after losing the vivacious little girl he called his angel."Me being a Marine living the life I have lived and experienced, I never thought that I was going to be the one that would have to bury my daughter. It's suppose to be the other way around," said Creer.