Sixteen-year-old Sofiya Magerko from the small Ukrainian town of Izyum always wanted to be famous. As a teen, she took part in beauty contests, was active on social media, and had over 3,000 followers on Instagram.
Sofiya spent most of her time out with her best friend Daria Medvedeva. On this fateful evening, the 24-year-old picked up Sofiya in her car before going out to paint the town red. While having fun, they kept their followers up-to-date by taking selfies.
After a few hours, Sofiya decided to record their partying. While in the car on the way to the next club, the 16-year-old started a live stream on Instagram for her followers. They listened to music, drank alcohol, waved at the camera, and were having a good time. Though aware of the risks, they, like many others, thought that nothing would happen to them. But then it was too late — there was a loud bang followed by an eerie silence.
One moment of carelessness was all it had taken. Unable to see properly due to the camera light, Daria lost control of the vehicle and violently collided with a street lamp.
A short while later, two men arrived at the site of the accident and were met by a horrific scene. They immediately called the police and medical services, but it was too late for Sofiya who had been killed instantly. Though Daria survived the crash, she died of her injuries on the way to the hospital. Everything continued to be recorded by the camera and streamed to shocked followers.
The following video (in Russian) shows the final tragic moments of the young women’s lives:
Warning: This video contains images that some viewers may find disturbing.
Though there is enough awareness on the dangers of drunk-driving and using cellphones at the wheel, many people still think that the worst won’t happen to them. In reality, it’s quite a different story: Sofiya and Daria paid for their mistake with their lives. We shouldn’t forget that we’re in control of our own destinies, so there’s little point in taking such unnecessary risks for a few moments of fame.
