Nikki Catsouras was killed in a horrible crash on Halloween day of 2006. The 18-year-old Orange County, California, resident had been driving her dad’s black Porsche 911 Carrera at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour when she lost control of the vehicle and smashed into a concrete tollbooth. She was killed instantly, and, much to her family’s horror, nine grisly Nikki Catsouras vehicle crash photos found their way onto the Internet and went viral.
A few days after the accident, Nikki’s father, Christos, who is a real estate agent, opened an e-mail that he thought to be a property listing. But that was far form the case. Instead, what he saw his daughter Nikki’s blood-covered face accompanied by the following caption: “Whoohoo Daddy! Hey Daddy, I’m still alive.”
Since that horrifying experience, the Catsourases have spent thousands of dollar in legal fees in an attempt to stop people from posting the Nikki Catsouras vehicle crash pictures online. Indeed, the Nikki Catsouris car crash photo controversy has morphed into a case about cyber-privacy and harassment.
How did the Nikkie Catsouras car crash photos end up on the Internet? According to Newsweek magazine, the routine accident photos were leaked by two CHP dispatchers. The Catsourases sued the CHP for negligence, invasion of privacy and emotional distress, but, in March of 2008, the case was dismissed by a California superior-court judge.
“No duty exists between the surviving family and defendant,” reads the judge’s opinion. Apparently, privacy laws do not extend to the dead, and the Catsouras case has established a legal precedent.
The Nikki Catsouras crash photos punctuate the dark side of humanity on the Internet. A fake Nikki Catsouras MySpace page was created by someone or a group of people who seem to be lacking a conscience. As do some of the people who have been leaving comments. “That stupid rich girl deserved it,” wrote one commenter. “What a waste of a Porsche,” wrote another.
The anonymity of the web seems to give some cowardly people a sense of empowerment. I can attest to this because I write a lot of articles her on Associated Content that deal with hot button issues. I get a lot of sick and obscene comments from people who seem to take pleasure in denigrating their fellow human beings. It’s really a sad commentary on the state of many peoples’ values in 21st century America.
I hope that the Catsourases are successful in their endeavor to create laws that would prevent people from posting pictures that dishonor the dead and bring unfathomable pain to their families.
Source:
A Tragedy That Won’t Fade Away, Jessica Bennett, Newsweek, April 25, 2009
