Influencer, 24, dies in horror crash alongside driver after car smashes into tanker as lorry driver is arrested
A popular influencer has died in a horror crash alongside her driver after their car smashed into lorry parked in the hard shoulder.
Gizem Ozmen, 24, had a huge TikTok following and was tragically killed alongside her driver, named as Mehmet Ensar Ozden.
The horroric crash happened near toll booths on the Izmir-Istanbul Highway in Manisa, far-west Turkey.
According to reports, the pair were driving along in a Volkswagen when it careered into a tanker that had stopped in the emergency lane.
Police, ambulance and fire crews all rushed to the scene, but could do nothing to save the pair.
Gizem and Mehmet were sadly both pronounced dead at the scene.
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The driver of the stationary lorry has been arrested.
The 24-year-old was a phenomenon on TikTok in Turkey, where she was known as Lavinia Ozmen.
She had 185,000 followers on the platform, and another 27,000 on Instagram.
Gizem gained popularity for her honest videos where she opened up about the struggles she faced in childhood.
She also attracted fans by anonymously sharing her followers' stories and reacting to them, calling herself "Lavinia, the Voice of Silent Battles".
The bodies of the two victims have been returned to their homes for burial - Mehmet to Istanbul and Gizem to the Urla district of Izmir.
