Katrina Sila killed in cement truck accident with two children on Hume Highway, Menangle Park, Sydney

The best friend and “sister” of a young mother who died with her two children in a horrific freeway crash says the grieving husband has now been saddled with huge funeral expenses.

Katrina Sila, 34, and her two-year-old son, Kai Prahastono, died instantly when their silver 4×4 crashed into a cement truck on the other side of the Hume Highway in Menangle Park, south-west Sydney, around 11.20am Monday.

Three-month-old Ivy was pulled from the wreckage in critical condition and flown to Westmead Children’s Hospital.

She died early Wednesday morning.

The children’s father, Ian (Ilham) Prahastono, spent the last two days of his little girl’s life at her hospital bed.

In the hours after the child’s death, Mrs. Sila’s “sister”. Diana Effendi urged community members to help raise money for Mr Prahastono – who is now paying for three funerals.

“We are calling on all of our friends, family and the wider community to raise money to help pay for funeral expenses following the tragic death of … Katrina and her beautiful two.” [children]’ Ms Effendi wrote on the GoFundMe page.

Katrina Sila (right) died in a horrific crash on the freeway on Monday. Her best friend (left) described the huge funeral expenses that have been left to the family

Katrina Sila, 34, pictured with her husband, son Kai Prahastono, and their baby daughter Ivy, who lost her fight to live on Wednesday

“This beautiful family lives in south west Sydney and loved everything about the area, dreamed of raising their children here and called this community their forever home.

“Your prayers and any amount you can donate at this difficult time will be so helpful in bringing relief to Ilham and his family.”

It was revealed earlier Wednesday that Mr Prahastono was at work at the time and was reportedly alerted to the crash by his Apple Watch on Monday morning, Seven News reported.

An Apple Watch feature detects when a serious car accident is occurring and can help connect to emergency services and notify emergency contacts.

Daily Mail Australia understands both the grieving husband and his wife worked in finance.

Police said Ms Sila was on her way to the family home in Denham Court, south-west Sydney, when the tragedy struck.

It is believed she was trying to do a U-turn from an emergency bay on the Hume Motorway when she crashed into the truck.

The male truck driver, 48, was not injured and has since been subjected to a mandatory drug and alcohol test.

Katrina Sila (left) and her friend Diana Effendi (right) are pictured together when they were both pregnant with their children

Ian Prahastono (pictured with his wife Katrina) mourns the loss of his wife and two children. He was reportedly alerted to the crash by his Apple Watch at work on Monday

The police are investigating how the accident happened and preparing a report for the coroner’s office.

Investigators urged anyone in the area with dashcam visibility or anyone with more information to come forward.

The force of the collision catapulted the engine of the mother-of-two’s SUV 100 meters up the road, witnesses said, with a picture showing it lying by the side of the road.

NSW Ambulance Superintendent Mark Gibbs said paramedics were faced with challenging and confronting scenes.

“It’s hard to believe anyone survived this wreck – such a tragic high-speed incident,” he said.

He also believed that the baby capsule Ivy had been strapped into probably saved her life to begin with.

“It shows how child restraint systems work in such tragic circumstances,” said Superintendent Gibbs.

Pictured: Emergency services worked to extricate the trapped baby from the car

The force of the impact threw the SUV’s engine 100 meters up the road

A family photo posted online in January shows Mrs Sila and her husband smiling as they cradled their son and newborn daughter in their arms.

“We are heartbroken to announce the sad deaths of Katrina Sila and son Kai…a loving daughter, mother, devoted wife, sister and friend to many,” the family said in a statement.

The family asked Mr Prahastono to remain on everyone’s minds as he navigates such a “tremendous personal tragedy”.

Islamic prayer groups on Facebook published a post on Tuesday announcing that Ms Sila – a Thai Muslim – and her son had died in the crash and asked followers to pray for baby Ivy.

The latest tragedy comes just days after a father and his two children were killed when their ute crashed into a tree in Coutts Crossing, south of Grafton in north NSW on Saturday.

Lance Danks-Brown, 43, his son Kayden, 14, and daughter Sharna, 11, died at the scene.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk