A mother who died in a tragic car accident along with her two children was revealed to be on the phone with a friend when she crossed the path of an oncoming truck.
Katrina Prahastono, 34, and her two-year-old son Kai Prahastono, were killed instantly when their silver van veered into a cement truck on the other side of the Hume Highway in Menangle Park, south-west Sydney, on March 13. .
Three-month-old daughter Ivy was pulled from the rubble in critical condition and airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Westmead, but died two days later.
A relative revealed that Ms. Prahastono was chatting with a friend and “got distracted” on the unknown section of road and missed the exit.
A moment later he made the fatal decision to make a U-turn.
Katrina Prahastono (pictured left holding her baby, Ivy), 34, was running errands for a traditional Islamic celebration for Ivy before she and her children were killed in a horrific car accident.
“The friend I was talking to told the police…Kat told him, ‘Oh no, I missed my turn, now I’m going to have to try to turn around somewhere,'” the relative said. The Daily Telegraph.
“She had been at a playgroup early in the morning, and then she was getting ready for Saturday.”
Saturday would have marked the family’s celebration of the recent birth of their three-month-old daughter, Ivy, in an Islamic ceremony.
Loved ones buried Ms Prahastono, little Ivy and her brother Kai on Friday.
Hundreds of mourners flocked to the Lakemba Mosque to say their last goodbyes to the family.
Dozens of men carried their green coffins, wrapped in cloth inscribed with gold and engraved with Arabic text, out of the mosque. First it was Mrs. Prahastono, followed by the children.
After lowering one of his children’s coffins into the hearse, Ilham Prahastono was surrounded and comforted by his loved ones. Overcome with emotion, he sat up momentarily.
A heartbroken Ilham Prahastono (pictured to the left of the coffin, wearing a black tie) carried the coffin of one of his sons out of the Lakemba Mosque on Friday.
Hundreds of mourners filled the mosque to pray for Prahastono, Kai and Ivy.
Hundreds of mourners (pictured) flocked to the Lakemba Mosque on Friday to say their last goodbyes to the family.
The devastated loved ones then proceeded to the nearby Narellan Cemetery to lay their final rest for Ms Prahastono, Kai and baby Ivy, while mourners carried flowers in the sweltering 30 degree Celsius heat.
Mourners embraced and wiped away tears as the trio were lowered to the ground.
Prahastono bowed his head as he stood with his loved ones, looking out over the burial ground, as he said a last goodbye to his wife and two children.
Ms. Prahastono and Kai were killed instantly when their silver van crashed into the cement truck on the other side of the Hume Highway.
Ivy was pulled from the rubble in critical condition and airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Westmead, but died early Wednesday morning.
Ms Prahastono had been on the road making final preparations for a traditional Islamic celebration called aqiqah, to celebrate Ivy’s recent birth, when she is believed to have made the fatal U-turn.
Excited friends and family lowered one of the green coffins into the back of a black hearse.
A man made room in the back of one of the hearses as a second coffin was placed in the back.
Mr. Prahastono is embraced by his loved ones after placing his children’s coffins in the hearse.
The 48-year-old truck driver was not injured and has since undergone mandatory drug and alcohol testing.
Seven News reported that Mr Prahastono was at work at the time and his Apple Watch reportedly alerted him to the accident on Monday morning.
A watch function detects when a serious car accident occurs and can help connect to emergency services and notify emergency contacts.
The police are investigating how the accident occurred and will prepare a report for the coroner.
The investigators urged anyone with dashcam vision in the area or anyone with more information to come forward.
The force of the collision catapulted the engine of the mother-of-two’s car 100 meters higher, witnesses said, with a picture showing it lying on the side of the road.
In the hours after Ivy’s death, Mrs. Prahastono’s sister and best friend, Diana Effendi, created a fundraiser and asked community members to help raise money for Mr. Prahastono, who now must pay three burials.
Prahastono was comforted by a man as he walked to a car to drive to the Narellan cemetery.
Family and friends hugged Prahastono as they walked away from the mosque.
The grieving father and husband was overcome with emotion as he climbed into a black Mercedes limousine.
Mourners embraced outside the mosque after reciting Islamic prayers for the family.
“We are calling on all of our friends, family and the community at large to raise money to cover burial costs after the tragic passing of…Katrina and her two beautiful (children),” Ms. Effendi wrote.
‘This beautiful family resides in South West Sydney and have loved everything about this area, dreamed of raising their children here and called this community their forever home.
“Your prayers and any amount you can donate during this difficult time will go a long way in easing the burden on Ilham and his family.”
So far over $120,631 has been raised for the family through GoFundMe.
The GoFundMe for the family can be found here.
A fundraiser was launched to help Ilham Prahastono (right) cover the cost of the funeral and rebuild her life.
