Bestie selfies are so much fun, right? But this one selfie took a devastating turn no one could have ever imagined.
Back in 2011, a quiet Utah town was left completely shaken when three teenage girls lost their lives in a tragic accident.
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The girls were enjoying a day near the train tracks
Three friends, Essa Ricker, Kelsea Webster, and Kelsea’s younger sister Savannah, were out by the tracks at Covered Bridge Canyon crossing.
They even waved to the engineers on a Utah Railway train as it passed. They had no clue what was coming next.
They didn’t see another train coming from the opposite direction
While they were focused on the train in front of them, they didn’t notice another one heading toward them from the other side.
The space between the two trains? Only about three or four feet. There really wasn’t much room at all.
The impact was immediate and devastating
When the second train came through, it hit all three girls. Essa and Kelsea died right there on the spot.
Savannah made it to the hospital and had surgery. But later, doctors told her family the brain injuries were too severe. She wouldn’t recover.
Their mother shared a heartbreaking update
Jayna Webster, the mother of Kelsea and Savannah, wrote on her blog:
“We spoke to the doctors today and they informed us that Savvy’s brain injuries were too great. Even though they’ve had done everything possible, Savannah will not be able to recover any further.
“We will keep her on life support till the end of the day, but it’s time to say goodbye, for now, to an angel that walked among us.”
One of the girls posted on Facebook just before the accident
Just before it all happened, Savannah actually posted something on Facebook.
“Standing right by a train ahaha this is awesome!!!!”
They posed for a selfie unaware of the danger
The girls were big fans of trains, and they took a selfie right there by the tracks. But they didn’t realize another train was coming their way, and fast.
In the photo, you can even see the bright yellow headlights of the approaching train. It was that close.
They didn’t hear the horn either.
The train crew desperately tried to warn them
John Anderson, a conductor who was there that day, said: “They were in their own little world.”
Engineer Michael Anderson tried blasting the horn to warn them. Nothing worked.
“We watched in horror as we got closer,” John heartbreakingly recalled. “We saw them for about 12 seconds until they disappeared from our sight and the train continued moving forward.”
A conductor rushed to help after the train stopped
Once the train finally stopped, John ran toward the girls. He checked one — no pulse. Then another. She was gone too.
Then he saw Savannah. She was still alive, but just barely.
“I told her everything would be OK and she relaxed a little,” the conductor reassured the teen.
“I hoped she would make it and for some reason I really thought she would.”
