Just days before she was killed in a tragic road accident, 19-year-old Bree Stanford posted a message on Facebook urging people to cherish their loved ones because they could be gone in a second.
"If we remembered everyday that we can lose someone at any moment, we would love them more fiercely and freely, and without fear - not because there is nothing to lose, but because everything can always be lost," she posted last Saturday.
Ms Stanford, from Panania in Sydney's south-west, was killed on Thursday when a truck ran into the back of her friend's car on the M1 at Mooney Mooney, completely crushing the black Mazda 323.
The two women, who were on their way back to Sydney after a short holiday, had broken down on the Hawkesbury River Bridge where there is no breakdown lane.
Ms Stanford's friend, a 19 year-old P-plate driver, had gotten out of the car to inspect the problem while Ms Stanford stayed in the passenger seat.
It's believed the friend screamed at Ms Stanford to get out of the car as the truck approached but she didn't have time to escape.
The driver, a 41 year-old from Woomargana on the Victorian border, has been charged with dangerous and negligent driving occasioning death.
Witnesses saw him slumped beside his truck crying after the accident. Large skid marks could be seen on the road.
The 19 year-old female driver was taken to hospital suffering shock.
Friends described Ms Stanford, a journalism student, as a "beautiful, kind, crazy, bubbly girl" who had travelled widely.
A friend who worked with Ms Stanford at Bankstown KFC said Bree was "an amazing free-spirited girl, all she wanted to do was travel the world and see all the amazing views"
"I remember sitting with her on our work breaks and she'd just talk for ages about how much she wanted to make a change and help people," said the friend, who wished to remain anonymous. "She'd always managed to put a smile on everyone's faces, her beautiful big blue eyes would just lighten up your day, I'll never forget her."
Another friend, Julie Boustani, posted online: "You were such an amazing person, with so much potential and an inspirational passion for life. You are gone but you surely will never be forgotten."
