Young girl killed just moments after posing for school photo

A “sweet and outgoing” nine-year-old girl has been killed in a horrific two-car crash just moments after she posed for a photo on the first day of the new school year.

Payton Lynn Crustner put on a big smile as she celebrated her first day of year four at her Rusk County school in Texas on Tuesday morning.

Just ten minutes later Payton was travelling in a 2017 Nissan Sentra with her mum, Miranda Michelle Clark, her 16-year-old brother and another three-year-old child.

They collided with another car being driven by 18-year-old Marcus Wayne Dukes, ejecting Payton from the vehicle.

Ms Clark, her 16-year-old son, and the 3-year-old were taken to the hospital, but Payton died at the scene, according to state troopers.

The 16-year-old is on life support in the hospital, LeAndria Starr, a friend of the family, told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Ms Starr has now created a fundraiser for the family on Facebook , with a goal of raising US $10,000 to cover the family’s funeral expenses for Payton.

As of Friday morning, more than $10,600 had been donated.

“I started the fundraiser just because I felt the need to do something to help this family with a burden while Payton’s brother is still on life support,” Ms Starr told Yahoo Lifestyle.

“Medical costs will be coming, and a funeral can cost several of thousands of dollars as well. And the last thing the family is thinking about or should be thinking about is how they are going to cover this cost.”

Starr described Payton as “a sweet, outgoing kid that loved life.”