A semitruck driver who allegedly had YouTube open on his tablet had more than 20 seconds to stop before he crashed into the back of a vehicle carrying a mother and her two young sons, killing all three, on a Missouri highway, according to authorities.
Eldar Skander, 39, has been charged with three counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deaths of 35-year-old Olga Sorbalo and her sons, Luis, 8, and Samir, 4.
The collision occurred at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Monday on U.S. Highway 71 near E. 19th Street in Kansas City, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, Skander was operating the semitruck when he collided with a Honda Odyssey, setting off a chain-reaction crash involving a Honda CR-V, a Ford Explorer, and a FedEx truck.
Seven individuals were inside the Odyssey at the time of the crash, including Sorbalo and her two sons, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene. A 2-year-old passenger sustained serious injuries, while the drivers of the CR-V and Explorer were both critically injured.
Investigators discovered a tablet on the floor of the semitruck with the YouTube application allegedly open. Authorities indicated that the device appeared to have been mounted on the center console, within the driver’s line of sight, prior to the crash.
Officers further determined that had Skander been traveling at the posted speed limit, he would have had between 20 and 22 seconds to observe and react to the stopped vehicles ahead. However, the affidavit noted no evidence that Skander applied the brakes at any point. Authorities continue to analyze data retrieved from the truck and are reviewing available camera footage that may have recorded the incident.
The Sorbalo family had been visiting relatives in Kansas City and was en route to the airport to return home to Washington state, according to the Kansas City Star.
Olga Sorbalo was one of 14 children of a pastor who leads a church in Vancouver, Washington, her brother confirmed to local ABC affiliate KMBC.
“She always preferred to be on the positive side of things, and that’s how she’ll be remembered,” said Sorbalo’s brother, Eli Cosovan.
He further stated: “We have our comfort in knowing that they are with Jesus and we know that it was for a reason. We don’t know what reason or why, but at least we have that comfort and hope.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, a GoFundMe campaign had raised approximately $150,000 to assist with transporting the victims back to their home state for funeral services.
“This heartbreaking loss has left their entire family, relatives, friends, and church community in deep sorrow,” the campaign description read.
Skander remains held at the Jackson County Jail on a $150,000 cash-only bond and is also being detained on an ICE detainer. The defendant has declined to speak with investigators regarding the crash.
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