Nikki Catsouras, 18, died in a horrifying car crash in 2006. Days afterward, her father received an email with a picture of the bloody accident scene and the caption, “Woohoo! Hey daddy, I’m still alive.”
Writes Jessica Bennett for Newsweek, “From the beginning, Nikki’s death had all the makings of a sensational story. She was gorgeous; it was Halloween, and she was driving a $90,000 sports car.” But why did the nine photographs leaked from the scene of her accident become a sick, twisted internet phenomenon? [Warning: The pictures, should you search for them, are VERY graphic, and the family wishes you would not see them.]
California Highway Patrol apologized for the leaked pictures; two CHP dispatchers were to blame. One man’s attorney said that he sent the images to relatives and friends “as a cautionary tale” to warn them of the dangers of the road. “Any young person that sees these photos and is goaded into driving more cautiously or less recklessly-that’s a public service.” rest