Commencement day ended tragically this weekend for a University student whose father and brother were killed early Saturday morning en route to her graduation ceremony.

Charles H. Lynch, 58, 10139 Clair Drive, Pittsburgh, and his son, Daniel S., 19, of the same address died in a head-on collision on Route 220 near Tyrone, one mile from the Centre County line, Hollidaysburg state police said yesterday.

They were pronounced dead at the scene at 8:55 a.m. by Chief Deputy Blair County Coroner Richard C. Goertz.

Lynch's wife Kathleen, 47, was listed as critical in the Tyrone Hospital yesterday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Paul Och, Jr., 46, also of Pittsburgh, was another passenger in the Lynch's car. He was listed as stable yesterday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The Lynchs are the father, mother and brother of Kelly M. Lynch, who was scheduled to graduate on Saturday with a bachelor's degree in administration of justice at the University. The family was traveling to State College for graduation ceremonies, Goertz said.

The elder Lynch was a veteran reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Four others were injured after the three-vehicle crash, which occurred on a stretch of Route 220 near Reese's Sale Barn, police said.

Goertz said Kelly Lynch and a companion, James Obman of Beaver Falls, Beaver County, were traveling about three miles behind her father's vehicle and arrived on the scene several minutes after the accident.

Goertz listed the cause of death for Charles Lynch as a depressed skull fracture as a result of the accident. Daniel Lynch died of multiple blunt force trauma.

Also injured was the driver of the other car, David A. Ammerman, 72, of Lock Haven, Clinton County. The injured passengers in his car were identified as his wife, Pauline, 64; Dorothy Ammerman, 65, of Mackeyville, Clinton County; and her daughter, Vivian L. Ammerman, 32, of Mackeyville.

The Ammermans remain in guarded condition at Tyrone Hospital, a spokeswoman there said.

Police said the crash occurred when Charles Lynch, who was northbound on ice-covered Route 220, attempted to pass a tractor-trailer driven by William Daus, 21 of Hollidaysburg. The Lynch vehicle slid into the left side of the tractor-trailer and then struck Ammerman, who was traveling south on 220. Lynch was in a no-passing zone at the time, police said.

Police said the "jaws of life," a device used to extract car accident victims from their vehicles, was used to rescue the injured.

No one involved in the accident was wearing a seat belt, police said.

Charles Lynch was the night police reporter for the Post-Gazette, said city editor Al Donaldson. He had been with the paper for 22 years, Donaldson added.

Vincent Gagetta of Pittsburgh, a close friend of the Lynch family, said he and Charles Lynch started at the Post-Gazette together in 1966.

"It's almost like losing a brother," Gagetta said. "He was just a gentle, warm human being and I'm very sorry to see him go."

Gagetta said his son and "Danny" Lynch grew up together and were very close friends.

Daniel Lynch was a student at Allegheny Community College in Pittsburgh, also majoring in administration of justice, Gagetta said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.