A truck driver has been charged after a horror pile-up that killed a mum and her two young sons as they headed to the airport after a family visit.
Eldar Skander, 39, faces three counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter over the smash on a busy highway.
Olga Sorbalo, 35, and her boys Luis, 8, and Samir, 4, died when the semi-truck allegedly slammed into the back of their Honda Odyssey minivan as traffic slowed.
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Investigators later allegedly found a tablet on the floor of the truck’s cab with the YouTube app open.
The family, from Vancouver, Washington, had been in Kansas City visiting relatives and were on their way to catch a flight home when tragedy struck.
Olga’s brother, Daniel Cosovan, told local station KGW8: “They were stuck in traffic, and a truck hit them from the back at a high speed.”
The crash happened on US Highway 71 on Monday 9 November.
In a statement, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said: “As vehicles were slowing and coming to a stop in traffic, the semi struck a black Honda Odyssey, causing a chain reaction.
“There were no signs of emergency braking by the semi.”
The impact shunted the minivan into a Honda CR-V, a Ford Explorer and a FedEx truck.
Luis and Samir were pronounced dead at the scene. Olga died later in hospital.
Her husband, Liviu, their two-year-old son and Liviu’s sister were also in the minivan.
All three were rushed to hospital with serious injuries.
The drivers of the CR-V and the Explorer were also seriously hurt.
The FedEx driver escaped unharmed.
According to prosecutors, the tablet had Velcro on the back that matched a strip on the truck’s dashboard.
The probable cause statement adds: “Officers also located a dash camera inside the semi-truck cabin that may have captured the incident.”
Skander, of Chicago, Illinois, suffered minor injuries.
Authorities said he declined to speak to police after being released from hospital.
According to local outlets FOX4 KC, KMBC and KCTV, he is being held at the Jackson County Detention Center on a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.
A judge set his bond at $150,000 cash only.
It is not known whether he has entered a plea or has a lawyer.
Olga was the daughter of Alexei Cosovan, a church minister in Vancouver.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help bring the bodies of Olga, Luis and Samir home for their funeral.
It reads: “Liviu Sorbalo lost his beloved wife and two precious young children. This heartbreaking loss has left their entire family, relatives, friends, and church community in deep sorrow.
“No amount of money can replace the lives that have been lost, but together we can help ease the financial burden and surround this family with love and care.”
The youngest son is now well enough to return to Washington with family, while Liviu remains in hospital in Missouri.
According to the fundraiser, the grieving dad “faces a long road to physical recovery, requiring ongoing medical treatment and is expected to be unable to work for an extended period”.
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