HOUSTON — A TikTok star and her mother were killed in a crash in northwest Houston Monday afternoon, according to family members.
They were headed to a Juneteenth celebration when they collided with a pickup truck on West Tidwell Rd. near T.C. Jester.
TikToker Britney Joy Murphy, 35, and her mother, Sherie Smith, 65, died when she lost control of her Honda Civic and crashed into a tree.
Tiffany Cofield drove by the accident scene and was terrified when she saw her sister's car.
"I just kept screaming. I couldn't believe it was my mom and my sister," Cofield said.
Murphy posted as ThatGirlBritneyJoy on TikTok and had over 400,000 followers.
"This happened so suddenly and was truly something I could have never imagine. Losing my best friends," Cofield posted on a GoFundMe. "This was just as my sister, beloved TikToker Britney Joy, began rising up in fame for her 9-5 videos that hit the internet by storm. Everyone related to her stories and those of her characters."
Even Murphy's grandmother watched her funny TikToks about her job.
"She brought joy, so much laughter," Marsha Gregory said. "She made me start being on TikTok.
Mecca, another TikTok influencer, was supposed to meet up with Britney and Sherie at the Juneteenth event. She said Britney had a large following because she was easy to relate to.
"Unfortunately, most people don't like their 9 to 5. Just the way she carried it in terms of 'uhh it's such a drag, I gotta go to work,'" Mecca said. "She was very relatable and humourous, you know, everybody loves to laugh."
The pickup truck that Murphy collided with hit another vehicle before flipping over and landing on its roof. The 18-year-old driver was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the third vehicle wasn't hurt.
It doesn't appear that intoxication was a factor in this crash, Houston police said. The investigation continues.
Cofield said they will return her sister and mom to their native California for memorial services.
By noon Wednesday, the GoFundMe account had over $77,000.
Raw aerials over scene:
