Add another one to the list of selfie-related fatalities this year.
The incident took place near Salugatta Village, in the Central Mamuju District of West Sulawesi this morning. Two people in a Toyota Avanza were coming from Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, to the city of Pinrang in South Sulawesi.
According to witnesses, the driver of the Avanza swerved all of a sudden when he saw a group of teenage girls spread out along the road next to a cliff taking selfies.
To avoid hitting the young girls, the driver swerved off the road and hit a drum that was acting as a road marker. The vehicle ended up going over the cliff, falling 100 meters into a deep ravine.
As a result of the accident, the driver of the Avanza died at the scene while the car’s only passenger suffered severe injuries.
“It was unfortunate, the car avoided the group of girls who were taking selfies by the side of the road. Because he tried to avoid hitting them, his car finally hit the drum before plunging into the abyss,” a witness named Hasbullah told Kompas.
The accident apparently caused severe traffic along the trans-Sulawesi road as curious motorists and residents tried to get a look at where the car had fallen.
