It was four and a half years ago the Kundrat family - Patrick, Cynthia and their 15-year-old son, Jeff - moved from downstate to the tiny community of Johannesburg. The couple, married just over 16 years, came to know many of their neighbors during the short time they have lived in Johannesburg; taking all the small-town connections into account, the situation the family now finds itself in is all the more difficult.
Patrick, a volunteer firefighter with Charlton Township and on the EMS, also is employed by the township for custodial work at the hall. He knew the Koronkas particularly well from his service on the fire department, where Chet Koronka, Peggy's father-in-law, is fire chief. The Kundrat family attends the Johannesburg Christian Church.
Searching for a possible clue to what led to Sunday morning's tragic turn of events, Patrick said, "I thought she was home. I asked her how she was feeling, hugged her, kissed her, told her that I loved her and then went off to work."
Patrick declined comment on whether his wife's actions may have been a suicide attempt. He did say, however, Cynthia had just started taking a prescription medication a few days earlier. He said that no instructions were given for her not to get behind the wheel.
He reported his 38-year-old wife, who was unemployed at the time of the crash, suffered a fractured disk that is being supported by a brace at this time. When he spoke to Cynthia about the tragedy, she was unable to recall whether she was wearing a seat belt at the time, he said, but he surmised that, taking into account her shoulder injury, she was indeed buckled in. "We always had seat belts on when we went anywhere," he explained, adding to buckle up is second nature.
"Physically, she's OK, but she's quite shaken," he said Thursday of Cynthia's condition. "She found out about the second deceased today. Cindy knew (Peggy) - we knew (the Koronkas) all real well."
On Sunday it was Patrick and Cynthia's son, Jeff, who called his father at work to tell him what had happened. "I'm thankful I wasn't there (to respond with the fire department). I found out a half hour after it happened from my son who called," Patrick recalled. "He didn't see it happen, but he saw the aftermath while everyone was trapped. He saw the whole thing."
The main reason Patrick has been willing to speak to the Herald Times was because of his son, he said. "I wanted to ask the community to not take it out on my son. He's been verbally assaulted once yesterday," he said, growing emotional and predicting the confrontation would have turned physical had friends not intervened on Jeff's behalf.
"I'm just praying for the community to come together on all of this and please not take it out on my son. He was totally innocent of all this."
Although family from downstate is expected to arrive at the Kundrats' home within the next few days, Patrick and Jeff have relied on Johannesburg friends, fellow church members, the Rev. Denny Freeman and youth counselors for support and encouragement.
"They've been wonderful," he concluded. "Most have rallied around myself and son. They're helping to take care of day-to-day needs."