Nikki Catsouras

18-year-old Nikki Catsouras died in a car accident on the afternoon of October 31, 2006, while joyriding in her father's Porsche. A California Highway Patrol (CHP) employee leaked images taken by CHP officers at the crash scene, leading Catsouras' parents to file a $20 million lawsuit against the CHP. The suit was dismissed in March 2008.¹

Fast Facts

1. Name: Nicole "Nikki" Catsouras
2. Birth date: March 4, 1988²
3. Date of death: October 31, 2006
4. Crash happened near Lake Forest, California
5. Teen was driving her father's Porsche at over 100 miles per hour when she crashed³
6. Car hit a toll booth at full speed³
7. Catsouras was decapitated in the accident⁴
8. At one time over 1,600 sites linked to Catsouras' graphic death photos³
9. California Highway Patrol said it had taken "appropriate action" against employee who leaked the photos⁵
10. Some of the photos were e-mailed to Catsouras' family members⁴
11. Family is appealing the 2008 dismissal of their $20 million lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol¹

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