US teen streamed fatal car crash on Facebook Live
A US teen driver was streaming to Facebook Live while she drove along a busy highway moments before a tractor-trailer rear ended her vehicle, killing her and her passenger in a fiery wreck.
Brooke Miranda Hughes, 18, was behind the wheel on Interstate 380 near Tobyhanna in Pennsylvania, as she dangerously live-streamed her car ride with 19-year-old friend, Chaniya Morrison-Toomey.
Morrison-Toomey can be heard saying “Are you going live?” in the now-deleted footage, according to the Associated Press.
Before Hughes could respond to the question, bright lights flash inside the car and sounds of screeching tires can be heard, followed by seven minutes of blackness, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune.
The two teens were declared dead at the scene and were driving on a spare tyre at the time of the crash, according to Pennsylvania State Trooper Dave Peters.
At the end of the tragic eight-minute video, a man is heard speaking and a blurry, bearded face can be seen before it ends.
Michael Jay Parks, the driver of the tractor-trailer, was unhurt as a result of the deadly accident.
Investigators told the Scranton Times-Tribune that it was too early to determine if Parks would be charged.
The Monroe County Coroner’s Office conducted autopsies on the teens the day after the crash.
In the autopsy reports, it states investigators could not visually identify Hughes and Morrison-Toomey due to the car burning.
State Police said the Facebook Live video would be used as evidence in their investigation.
“People watching live video can report potential violations of our community standards, and we will take the appropriate action,” Andrea Saul, a Facebook spokeswoman, explained to the Scranton Times-Tribune.
“We also encourage people to contact law enforcement if they see a live stream in which someone is in danger.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up by friends and family of Morrison-Toomey to pay for her funeral expenses.
News break – December 9
