Roman Bondar, 47, who raised his four daughters alone after his wife's death, died in a three-vehicle crash in Uralsk on July 27, infohub.kz reports. The accident occurred on the ring road near the village of Derkul.
According to police, the driver of a Lada Granta violated traffic rules, drove into oncoming traffic, and crashed head-on into a Volkswagen Golf. A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van traveling in the same direction then rear-ended the Volkswagen. The Golf driver died at the scene from his injuries.
Bondar was raising four daughters. His wife Olga tragically died last November after choking during a meal. The youngest girl is only nine years old. Seeking to provide for his family after his wife's death, he worked several jobs.
Svetlana Vitenbek, a family relative, said she received a call on the day of the accident informing her of the tragedy. The connection kept dropping, so she attempted to reach Roman directly, but a stranger answered and gave her the terrible news.
"Roman was driving from Derkul to the city. He had come home for a lunch break and was returning to work. A car suddenly appeared in front of him, and they collided head-on. I watched the dashcam footage: the other driver was heading straight at Roman. Paramedics fought for his life for about half an hour; his heart was still beating... But he suffered a severe blow to the head, which caused a large hematoma, and he also slammed his chest against the steering wheel. The driver's seat was literally twisted, and Roman ended up in the back seat. The airbag deployed, but it didn't save him. Now the four children are left as complete orphans," said Svetlana Vitenbek.
Family members fear that the Lada driver, who was intoxicated, may escape punishment. An examination has already confirmed that Bondar was completely sober. Relatives of the perpetrator have not even attempted to contact the family to offer condolences. However, the family will not forgive and demands a just punishment under the law.
The eldest daughter, 22-year-old Zlata, intends to take care of her younger sisters and has already begun the paperwork to become their guardian. The youngest daughter, aged nine, still does not know that she has lost her father as well as her mother.
The press service of the West Kazakhstan Regional Police Department reported that a pre-trial investigation has been opened into the crash. The Lada driver is being held in a temporary detention facility. "Investigative actions are currently being conducted to establish all the circumstances of the incident, and a series of forensic examinations have been ordered. A final procedural decision will be made based on their results in accordance with the law," the department stated.
Bondar was buried on July 30.