A tragic new detail has emerged about how a father was alerted about the fatal car crash that claimed the lives of his entire family this week, as loved ones set up a fundraising page to pay for funeral costs.
A Sydney father was at work when he was alerted by his Apple Watch that his wife and two young children were involved in a high-speed crash.
His wife Katrina Silla, 34, and their two-year-old son Kai, were killed when the family’s Mazda SUV collided with a cement truck in the north-bound lanes of the Hume Highway, at Menangle Park in the city’s south-west, on Monday morning.
Their three-month old daughter Ivy was miraculously pulled from the wreck and flown to Westmead Hospital but died two days later on Wednesday morning.
Dad Ian Prahastono, believed to be an account manager in finance, is understood to have received a notification about the smash around 11am, 7News reported.
There is a feature on newer iPhones and Apple Watches that will call first responders and send an alert to emergency contacts to inform them of a potential crash.
It automatically triggers an “Emergency SOS” response, which sends out a notification unless the person wearing the watch cancels it.
The heartbroken dad had been by the bedside of his newborn daughter Ivy for two days before she tragically died from her injuries early on Wednesday.
Relatives of the family thanked emergency services for rushing to the aid of the mother and two children and said they are still coming to terms with their sudden deaths.
“We would like to express our gratitude for the support everyone has show us… strangers we don’t even know, and first responders, everyone that was on the scene and everyone who tried to help,” they said in a statement.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the distraught father who will have to plan the funerals for his wife and two children.
“Your prayers and any amount that you can donate during this difficult time will be so helpful in easing the burden on Illham and his family.”
More than $19,000 had been donated at the time this story was published, with a goal of raising at least $50,000.
The 48-year-old driver of the truck was not injured but left shaken from the incident. He was taken for mandatory blood and urine testing.
Witnesses claimed the mother had been attempting a U-turn, but as the car entered the north-bound lanes through an emergency bay it was struck at high-speed.
The force of the crash was so severe that the car’s engine was found 100 metres down the motorway, according to The Daily Telegraph.
NSW Ambulance Chief Superintendent Mark Gibbs said first responders were confronted with a “challenging scene” when they arrived.
“I think it’s hard to think anyone could survive that wreckage,” he said.
The horror crash shutdown the Hume Highway in both directions between Narellan and Picton roads on Monday, with queues of traffic stretching for kilometres.
It comes after another parent, Lance Danks-Brown, 43, and his two children Kayden, 14, and Sharna, 11, were killed over the weekend when their ute hit a tree near Grafton.
There have been 57 deaths so far this year from fatal smashes. It is down slightly on this time last year when 68 people died.
Specialist officers from the Crash Investigation Unit attended the scene at Menangle Park and a police investigation is underway to determine the cause of the smash.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
