Influencer Sparks Backlash After Posting Video Joking About Aftermath of Fatal Crash
Influencer Sparks Backlash After Posting Video Joking About Aftermath of Fatal Crash
Tabitha ParentThu, April 23, 2026 at 8:52 PM UTC
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Sarah Stusek.Credit: Sarah Stusek/Instagram -
A Washington, D.C.-based influencer is under fire after posting a video that appears to show the aftermath of a fatal crash, including a clip of the victim's body
In the video, which has since been deleted but is circulating online, Stusek makes multiple joking references to the police investigation unfolding behind her, as she and her husband enjoy their anniversary dinner at an Alexandria, Va.
The Alexandria Police Department said this week that a 62-year-old woman was declared dead at the scene after she was hit by a car on Monday at the same location seen in Stusek's video
An influencer is receiving criticism online after posting a video in which she appeared to joke about a fatal crash that she encountered on her way to an anniversary dinner with her husband.Sarah Stusek, a Washington, D.C.-based influencer, posted a video — which has since been deleted — documenting her and her husband's anniversary dinner plans. The clip, which was reposted on Reddit, prompted outrage online as it appeared to show a body lying in the middle of the street, while police can be seen investigating.
Sarah Stusek.Credit: Sarah Stusek/Instagram
"I didn't plan on filming our anniversary dinner but when we walked up there was a dead body outside so I knew it was going to be an eventful one," Stusek begins in her video. Stusek and her husband, Eddie, continue enjoying their dinner in the clip, sharing moments as they order off the menu from their evening spent at Oak Steakhouse in Alexandria, Va.“We enjoyed our evening under the red and blue strobe light,” Stusek adds at one point in the clip.
PEOPLE reached out to Stusek for comment.
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On Monday, April 20, the Alexandria Police Department said that police had responded to the intersection of North Saint Asaph and Montgomery streets for a report of a crash involving a pedestrian at 5:26 p.m. The location mentioned in the release matched the location of the steakhouse where Stusek and her husband dined.When police arrived, officers located an adult female pedestrian suffering from "life-threatening injuries." The woman, 62, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released the victim's identity. "The driver of a black Chevrolet Suburban, a 46-year-old man, remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation," the report read.The video ends with the couple hugging, with police still in the background. "We split the bill like every good couple does on their anniversary and walked home under the red and blue lights," Stusek concluded the video.
Sarah Stusek.Credit: Sarah Stusek/Instagram
PEOPLE previously spoke to Stusek in December 2025, after she went viral for her efforts to help pay off over $75,000 in student lunch balances out of pocket.Stusek, who also runs a production company called Stusek Studios, built up a large online following by documenting her efforts to help families pay off overdue school lunch balances — work she began sharing on TikTok in 2022. When she first began the work, she paid lunch balances out of pocket, but has since transitioned into accepting donations from viewers around the world to help fund the effort.As of the December 2025 interview with PEOPLE, Stusek had helped to pay off $75,681.55 in overdue lunch accounts across the U.S.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
