Hume Highway crash: Katrina Prahastono was chatting on speaker phone before triple-fatal crash
A mother killed in a tragic car crash along with her two children was chatting on speaker phone to a friend the moment she crossed into the path of an oncoming truck, it has been revealed.
Katrina Prahastono, 34, and her two-year-old son Kai Prahastono died instantly when their silver SUV turned in front of a cement truck on the other side of the Hume Highway at Menangle Park, south-west Sydney, on March 13.
Three-month-old daughter Ivy was pulled from the wreckage in a critical condition and airlifted to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead but died two days later.
A relative revealed Ms Prahastono was chatting to a friend and ‘got distracted’ on the unfamiliar section of road and missed her exit.
A moment later she made the fatal decision to make a U-turn.
Katrina Prahastono (pictured left holding her baby, Ivy), 34, was running errands for a tradition Islamic celebration for Ivy before she and her kids were killed in a horrific car crash
‘The friend she was speaking to has told police…Kat said to her “Oh no, I’ve missed my turn, now I’ll have to try and turn around somewhere”,’ the relative told The Daily Telegraph.
‘She had gone to a playgroup earlier in the morning, and then she was getting ready for Saturday.’
Saturday would have marked the family’s celebration of the recent birth of three-month-old Ivy at an Islamic ceremony.
Loved ones laid to rest Ms Prahastono, little Ivy and her brother Kai on Friday.
Hundreds of mourners flocked to Lakemba Mosque to say their final goodbyes to the family.
Dozens of men carried their green coffins, cloaked with gold-inscribed cloth and engraved with Arabic text, out of the mosque – first was Ms Prahastono, followed by the children.
After lowering one of his children’s coffins into the hearse, Ilham Prahastono was surrounded and comforted by loved ones. Overwhelmed with emotion, he momentarily sat down.
A heartbroken Ilham Prahastono (pictured on the left of the coffin, wearing a black tie) carried one of his children’s caskets out of Lakemba Mosque on Friday
Hundreds of mourners packed into the mosque to say prayers for Ms Prahastono, Kai and Ivy
Hundreds of mourners (pictured) flocked to Lakemba Mosque on Friday to say their final goodbyes to the family.
Devastated loved ones then headed to the nearby Narellan Cemetery to lay Ms Prahastono, Kai, and baby Ivy to final rest, with mourners carrying flowers in the sweltering 30 degree Celsius heat.
Mourners embraced and wiped away tears as the trio were lowered into the ground.
Mr Prahastono hung his head as he stood next to loved ones, staring into the burial plot, as he said his final goodbyes to his wife and two children.
Ms Prahastono had been out on the road making the final preparations for a tradition Islamic celebration called aqiqah – to celebrate Ivy’s birth – when she is understood to have made the fatal U-turn.
Emotional friends and family lowered one of the green coffins into the back of a black hearse.
One man made room in the back of one of the hearse as a second coffin was placed into the back
Mr Prahastono is embraced by loved ones after placing his children’s coffins into the hearse
The male truck driver, 48, 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 was reportedly alerted to the crash by his Apple Watch that morning.
A watch features detect when a severe car crash occurs and can help connect to emergency services and notify emergency contacts.
Police are investigating how the crash happened and will prepare a report for the coroner.
Investigators have urged anyone with dashcam vision in the area or anyone with further information to come forward.
The force of the collision catapulted the engine of the mother-of-two’s car 100 meters up the road, witnesses said, with a picture showing it lying by the side of the road.
In the hours following Ivy’s death, Ms Prahastono’s sister and best friend Diana Effendi created a fundraiser and called on members of the community to help raise money for Mr Prahastono – who must now pay for three burials.
Mr Prahastono was comforted by a man as he walked to a car to drive to Narellan Cemetery
Family and friends wrapped their hands around Mr Prahastono as they walked away from the mosque.
The grieving father and husband were overcome with emotion as they stepped into a black Mercedes limousine.
Mourners hugged outside the mosque after reciting Islamic prayers for the family
‘We are putting out a call to all of our friends, family and wider community to raise money to cover the burial costs after the tragic passing of … Katrina and their beautiful two. [children]Ms Effendi wrote.
‘This beautiful family resides in the south-west of 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 that you can donate during this difficult time will be so helpful in easing the burden on Ilham and his family.’
More than $120,631 has been raised for the family so far through the GoFundMe.
The GoFundMe for the family can be found here.
A fundraiser has been launched to help Ilham Prahastono (right) to cover the cost of the funeral and rebuild his life