A heartbroken mother of two has delivered a devastating tribute to her “best friend” and husband after a horrific midnight Tesla crash in southwest Brisbane claimed his life. Sarath Mohandas had spent years building a foundation in Australia, but just two months after his wife and young children left their lives behind in India to join him, their Australian dream was cut short in an instant.
In what was supposed to be the glowing beginning of a brand-new chapter in Australia, a young family’s life has been completely torn apart by a sudden, fatal car crash in Queensland.
Emergency service crews were called to the quiet intersection of Augusta Parkway and Magnolia Drive in Brookwater, southwest of Brisbane, shortly after 1:30 am on July 19.
A white Tesla Model Y had suddenly left the roadway, collided violently with a roadside tree, and burst into flames.
Despite the frantic efforts of first responders arriving at the scene, 37-year-old father-of-two Sarath Mohandas suffered fatal injuries and was declared dead at the crash site.
For his grieving widow, Sithara Sivadasan, the sudden loss represents an unbearable tragedy that occurred just as their family had finally achieved their long-awaited dream of living under one roof.
For years, Mohandas had worked tirelessly in Australia as the sole financial provider for his household, preparing a stable home while his wife and two young children, aged ten and four, remained in Kerala, India.
Just two months before the catastrophic crash, Sithara made the life-changing decision to walk away from her established career back home so the family could finally be together permanently in Australia.
In a heartbreaking fundraiser launched to help navigate the unimaginable road ahead, Sithara paid a deeply emotional tribute to her late husband:
“He worked tirelessly to build a better future for us,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page.
“I resigned from my secure government job so that we could finally live together as a family.”
Sarath Mohandas with his wife, Sithara Sivadasan, and kids. The family had reunited in Australia just two months before his death. Credit: GoFundMe
After years of long-distance separation, the family had settled into a rental property in Augustine Heights, eager to build a bright future together in Queensland.
However, the late-night crash ended those lifelong dreams in a single, devastating moment, leaving a young mother stranded in a foreign country without her life partner.
Expressing the immense weight of her grief, Sithara shared the unbearable reality now facing her two young children:
“We moved into a rental home in Augustine Heights, filled with dreams of starting a new life.”
“Instead, our world has been shattered beyond words.”
“In an instant, my children lost their loving father, and I lost my life partner.”
The tragic crash occurred a mere five weeks after the family celebrated a major milestone in their new Australian journey: purchasing a brand-new Tesla Model Y.
Filled with excitement for their future road trips across the country, the family had welcomed the new electric vehicle into their home with open arms on June 13.
In a bittersweet Facebook post published just last month, Sithara shared a video documenting the day they picked up the car, proudly writing:
“Welcoming our newest family member home!”
“The kids are already obsessed with the screen, but the Tesla Light Show in the garage definitely stole the spotlight.”
Now, instead of driving through Queensland on family vacations, Sithara is desperately trying to arrange for her husband’s body to be repatriated back to his hometown of Thrissur in Kerala, India.
She hopes to lay Mohandas to rest surrounded by their extended family and community, who can help cushion the blow of this sudden loss for her grieving children.
The funds raised through the community campaign will also assist Sithara and her two young children in relocating back to India, where they can be surrounded by family support during the painful months ahead.
Acknowledging that no amount of public support can ever fill the void left in her home, Sithara expressed her profound gratitude to those who have extended a helping hand during their darkest hour:
“No words can express the pain of losing Sarath, and no amount of money can replace him,” she wrote.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your prayers, compassion and generosity during the darkest time of our lives and allowing us to focus on honouring his memory and caring for our children.”