Woman, 32, dies in head on crash seconds after Facebook post from behind wheel about how she loved Pharrell hit Happy
- Courtney Sanford was actively using Facebook while driving in the minutes leading to her crash, police said
- She died only seconds after her final post
HAPPY: Courtney Sanford died while posting to Facebook about one of her favorite songs
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A 32-year-old North Carolina woman is dead after slamming her car head-on into a truck while posting selfies and a Facebook update about how happy she was while listening to a Pharrell song.
Courtney Sanford, of High Point, crossed the center median of a busy road Thursday morning just after making the post, hit a recycling truck and died, police said. Further inspection of her phone revealed pictures posted online only minutes earlier.
The last words Sanford shared with her friends? ‘The happy song makes me HAPPY.’
Authorities said the post, visible only to her friends, was made at 8.33 a.m., the first 911 call received about the crash was one minute later.
‘In a matter of seconds, a life was over just so she could notify some friends that she was happy,’ a police spokesperson told WGHB.
Footage from the scene showed Sanford’s car had careened off the road into a ditch near some trees. The recycling truck was only feet away, also in the grass.
Sanford’s car caught on fire after running off the road. The truck hit a tree.
Her last words: Sanford made this post only seconds before her life ended, police said
The end: Sanford's car burst into flames after slamming into a truck and careening into this ditch
Snarled: Rush hour traffic was brought to a standstill as police investigated the wreck
Authorities believe she was traveling at about 45 mph at the time of the accident. Alcohol and drugs have been ruled out as a cause, but police are still running a toxicology report to confirm, sources told WFMY.
She died instantly, cops said. The truck driver was unharmed.
Investigators also discovered a series of selfies posted by the woman while she was driving, police said.
‘As sad as it is, it is a grim reminder for everyone… you just have to pay attention while you are in the car,’ the spokesperson added.
Sanford was wearing a seat belt, police said, but it fastened improperly.
It is not clear if wearing the restraint correctly would have saved her life.
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