CAR COLLISION ORPHANS SIBLINGS; WIDOWER OFFERS TO CARE FOR 4 COUSINS.

Byline: Anne Burke Daily News Staff Writer

John Winter and 11 members of his extended family shared a five-bedroom home in Lancaster until a terrible accident last week tore their lives apart, leaving four children parentless.

Now, Winter sleeps on a fold-out chair in a San Diego hospital room, keeping a close eye on his two young daughters as they recover from injuries sustained in a car crash that killed his wife and stepdaughter, and the wife's brother and sister-in-law.

Yet, it's the little girls' four cousins whose future is his greatest concern.

The death of the wife's brother and sister-in-law orphaned the four youngsters. In all, the incident claimed the lives of five people and injured eight - most of them members of Winter's extended family - near Blythe, Calif., late Friday.

``People keep asking, `What help do you need? What do you need?' At this time, I'm just numb, just blown away,'' said Winter, 40, from the room at Children's Hospital San Diego, where he has conducted a bedside vigil for three days.

What the future holds for the children is still uncertain, but Winter has offered to take them in.

The incident killed Winter's wife of eight years, Guillermina, 38, and her daughter, Gabriela ``Gabby'' Gallo, 20, both of Lancaster, as well as Salvador Rodriguez, 44, and his wife, Maria Rodriguez, 35, the parents of the four orphaned children. Maria Rodriguez was about three months pregnant with her fifth child, Winter said.

John and Guillermina Winter's daughters, Crystal, 7, and Angie Star, 4, were upgraded to good condition Monday at Children's Hospital. Gallo's 2-year-old daughter, Emily, who received minor injuries, is in the care of her father, family members said.

Both Gabriela and Emily Gallo lived in the Winter home as well.

Three of the four cousins were treated at a Blythe hospital after the crash and released. The fourth, Urlena Rodriguez, who will turn 9 Feb. 1, was upgraded to good condition Monday at Children's Hospital San Diego, where she shares a room with her cousins Crystal and Angie.

On Monday, the youngsters at the hospital, still smarting from bumps, bruises and scratches from their horrific ordeal, got a surprise visit from National Football League players Eric England and Zack Crockett, who made the rounds and passed out football souvenirs as a public service, in conjunction with Super Bowl XXXII, which will be played Sunday in San Diego.

``It did seem to boost the girls' spirits,'' said hospital spokesman Mark Morelli.

The fifth person to die was Andres Delgadillo, 55, of Pacoima, a family friend who apparently was hitching a ride to Mexico for a visit, a Riverside County coroner's official said.

The occupants of the van were en route to southern Zacatecas, Mexico, to visit relatives, a trip they made once every two or three years.

Guillermina Winter apparently was behind the wheel when the crash occurred shortly before midnight, 12 miles west of Blythe on Interstate 10.

The van was reportedly weaving between lanes just before the collision, according to the California Highway Patrol. When a tractor-trailer rig tried to pass the vehicle, the van cut in front of the rig, the CHP said.

The rig and van collided, causing the van to spin clockwise, roll over and land on its roof. Truck driver James Jolley, 36, of Albertville, Ala., was treated at a hospital and released.

None of the dead was believed to have been wearing a seat belt.

The three other Rodriguez children, Nancy, about age 7, Cesar, 3, and Salvador Jr., 1, are in the custody of Guillermina's mother, Petra Rodriguez, and other relatives, until permanent arrangements can be made, family members said.

Winter doesn't know what lies ahead for little Emily Gallo, but he said she is welcome to remain in his home, as are the Rodriguez children, as long as she likes.

Just two weeks ago, John Winter embarked on a new career path, enrolling in a school that trains state correctional officers.

He has temporarily dropped his studies so that he can care for his children. But he plans to return to school when he is able, with the intention of one day working in a prison.

Winter said there is one thing that brings him a measure of comfort. Just a few months before her death, his wife had accepted Christ as her personal savior, Winter said.

The father said he told his two daughters that their mother ``had such a good heart, Jesus came down and picked her up.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Emily Gallo

Lost mother in crash

(2) Gabriela Gallo

Died in incident