A teenager has died after her best friend became distracted while driving her and hit a barrier - impaling the girl on a metal guardrail.
Alexia Douglas, 16, died on impact after Christina Shiver, who had only just passed her driving test, lost control of her SUV in St. Petersburg, Florida at 7pm on Friday and smacked into a barrier.
The car jumped the curb onto the sidewalk. Authorities say metal guardrails pierced through the passenger's side windshield, killing Alexia immediately.
Christina, also 16, was treated in hospital but only suffered minor injuries. A witness said that she believed her best friend was still alive and wanted to ride with her in the ambulance to hospital.
Tragic: Alexia Douglas (left) died after her friend Christina Shiver (right) lost control of their car
'I just looked away for a second,' she said, according to Doug Ruppel, who spoke to the Tampa Bay Times after witnessing the deadly crash.
Alexia's mother remembered how the girls were inseparable.
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'They were always, always together,' Barbara Nicholl said. 'They got along with everybody, but they always said they were each others' only friend. Every weekend it was Alexia and Christina.'
The girls, who met at middle school, would spend every Friday and Saturday night together and watch music channels, play computer games and chat about the next concert they would attend.
Best friends: Relatives described the girls - who were hanging out as they did every weekend - as inseparable
Accident: Christina, right, told police she became distracted while driving and her car veered off the road
Loss: After Alexia died, Christina reportedly believed she was still alive and wanted to ride to hospital with her
On the night of the tragedy, the girls did not have any set plans, but discussed going to the mall or watching films together.
The girls attended Northeast High School, where counselors are on hand to speak with students. Alexia ranked in the top one per cent of her sophomore class, the Times reported.
'Everybody is just distraught about it,' principal Kevin Hendrick said.
Nicholl said that police officers came to her door at 8pm on Friday and she immediately panicked about whether Alexia was in trouble.
But the officers told her that Christina had been driving the girls in her 2008 Ford Escape when she became distracted and swerved right, mounted a barrier and crashed into a guardrail.
Crash scene: The girls' car can be seen down an embankment, left, after the crash on Friday night
Horror: The car hit a metal guardrail, which pierced the front windshield and killed Alexia on impact
Authorities have not suggested how she was distracted.
Nicholl said she is still struggling to digest their news.
'I've talked to Christina's mom, but not Christina,' she said. 'I'm afraid I'll ask too many questions, and I'm not ready to hear the answers. Not yet.'The investigation is ongoing and a funeral will be held for Alexia on Thursday.