Mother and two children killed in Menangle Park car crash say goodbye
This Saturday should have been a special day for Katrina Sila and Ilham Prahastono, celebrating the recent birth of their three-month-old daughter Ivy in an Islamic ceremony.
Instead, loved ones were burying Ms Sila, 34, little Ivy and her two-year-old brother Kai on Friday after the family was tragically killed when their car crashed into a truck in Menangle. Park, southwest of Sydney.
Hundreds of mourners flocked to the Lakemba Mosque on Friday to say a final farewell to the family.
Dozens of men carried the green coffins, wrapped in cloth inscribed with gold and engraved with Arabic text, out of the mosque. First it was Mrs. Sila, 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.
Katrina Sila (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.
Hundreds of mourners filled the mosque to pray for Ms. Sila, Kai and Ivy.
The devastated loved ones then proceeded to the nearby Narellan Cemetery to lay their final rest for Ms Sila, Kai and baby Ivy, mourners carrying 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. Sila and Kai were killed instantly when their silver pickup truck crashed into a cement truck on the other side of the Hume Freeway around 11:20 a.m. Monday.
Ivy was pulled from the rubble in critical condition and airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Westmead, but died early Wednesday morning.
Ms Sila 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 a 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, Ms. Sila’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.