As we previously reported, three members of the Putman family, who starred in the TLC reality show Meet the Putmans, were killed in a car accident over the weekend.
Now, the driver who is allegedly responsible for their death has been arrested.
Police in Tuscola County, Michigan have confirmed that 55-year-old Pavel Shchukin from Florida has been taken into custody.
According to one local news outlet, Schukin has been charged with three counts of moving violation causing death and five counts of moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function.
In addition to the three deaths, five family members were hospitalized with serious injuries.
The news was announced in a heartbreaking Instagram post written by Isabelle Putman.
She revealed that patriarch “Papa” Bill Putman, Neenee, and Aunt Megan were all killed in the crash.
She further explained that “Uncle Blake, Lulu, Alena, Noah and Gia” were all injured and remain in the hospital. The severity of their injuries is unclear at this time.
“We are asking for complete healing and strength for each of them,” Isabelle wrote.
“My entire family — Papa, Neenee, Billy, Jen, Brandon, Kacie, Blake, Megan, Jamie, Blair, myself (Isabelle), Abby, Emma, Addison, Bella, Mercy, Gabby, Noah, Mya, Nova, Lulu, Alena, Gia, Jonah, Eli, Solomon, Uriah, Samson, Luke, and Anna — all proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
He is our hope, our peace, and our salvation. Even in this time of heartbreak, we rest in knowing that God is in control,” Isabella continued.
“We ask for your continued prayers for Uncle Blake, Lulu, Alena, Noah and Gia as they recover, and for our whole family as we walk through this deep loss,” she added.
“Thank you for every prayer, message and act of love. Your support means more than words can express.”
In the comments on Isabelle’s Instagram post, followers expressed shock and disbelief, with some going so far as to suggest that news of the tragedy must be some sort of hoax.
Sadly, this horrific development appears to be all too real, having now been confirmed by outlets such as People magazine and TMZ.
Meet the Putmans ran for six episodes on TLC beginning in September of 2017.
According to a description on the network’s website, the series documented the family’s unusual living arrangement in which “three generations [lived] in the same house and [shared] everything from one bank account to six bedrooms and only two bathrooms
We will have updates on the condition of the surviving Putmans as new information becomes available.
Our thoughts go out to the entire family during this enormously difficult time.