A nine year-old girl posed for a photo to commemorate her first day as a ninth grader but died in a crash ten minutes later.
Payton Crustner smiled in the haunting snap taken around 7am Tuesday, the day before she was due to begin fourth grade.
At 7:16am state troopers responded to the collision that saw her flung from the Nissan Sentra she was traveling in to her death.
Payton was only wearing the bottom part of her seatbelt when her mom Miranda Clark’s car swerved in an unsuccessful attempt avoid an GMC truck that drove into oncoming traffic near Laneville, Mi.
She was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
Her 16 year-old brother, who was in the front of the Nissan and was not wearing a seat belt, was also severely injured and is in intensive care on a ventilator.
Clark and pickup driver Marcus Wayne Dukes were treated for minor injuries at the scene. Payton’s three year-old sibling who was also traveling in the car escaped with minor injuries.
Family friend LeAndria Starr wrote on Facebook shortly afterwards: ‘Just got some devastating news, a friend of mine was involved in a car accident that killed her daughter, and her son is on a ventilator. Please keep this family in your prayers.
Paying tribute to Payton, Starr later told KETK: ‘She was just, oh my goodness, she was just a little live-wire.
‘I mean, she was just such a sweet kid and just very energetic. Loved wearing her little boots and I mean, she was just a little spitfire I guess you could say.’
Police have said Payton’s death is a reminder to motorists to wear their seatbelts properly while traveling in a car
She was my sister I love her we will allows be sister
I miss you We will always be
Im her uncle i miss her so much my whole family is sad i miss her so much heven tho😢😢😢😭😭😭😭
Im her uncle i miss her so much my whole family is sad i miss her so much heven tho😢😢😢😭😭😭😭