When Melanie was invited to a get-together with a friend whom she hadn't seen in a long time, she thought that they would spend the day catching up and eating good food.
But instead, she found out that she had been invited to a funeral, and not just any funeral, but her own!
On The Way
Melanie drove hours to visit her friend in her new apartment. But when she arrived at the destination, she was surprised to see that her friend was now living in an old, small room with no windows or furniture.
Something didn't sit well with her, but this was only the beginning.
They Were Going To Attend A Funeral
Melanie's friend told her that they were going to attend a funeral first. She was confused. Whose funeral was it? And why didn't she mention anything about a funeral before?
Once Melanie took a seat, she started to recognize several people in the room. Some of them were her own family!
She Wasn't The Only One
At this point, Melanie still didn't know that she was attending her own funeral organized by her friend. It wasn't until she saw her own photo on the wall did she realize that something was terribly wrong.
However, Melanie wasn't the only person who attended her own funeral. Kim from France also showed up at a funeral when she thought she was going to hang out with her friends. But what was the point of this?
Her Father's Speech
It was only when her father started to speak did Melanie realize why they had organized a funeral for her.
He started his speech by saying, "It was the night of October 21. The phone rang, but it wasn't you. It was the police."
October 21st
"I want to be strong, but how is that possible? I am a father who is burying his daughter," he said. Melanie now understood what was happening. On October 21st, she was out having fun with her friends, and she was the designated driver that night.
"Speeding, just this one time, marked the end of you. I cannot and do not want to try to understand," her father continued.
They Wanted To Teach Her A Lesson
Melanie's friends and family were all there because they wanted to teach her a lesson and explain why speeding is so dangerous. She could've gotten into a car accident and died.
When French student Kim noticed that her best friend Anna was also in the room, she was in complete shock.
In Grief
Anna started by saying, "I thought this only happened to others, but here I am. Why did you have to go? Why you?"
"The person I did everything with. With whom I could share everything with. We still had a lot of things to do. In April, we were going to Brazil together." But how did Kim react to her speech?
She Felt Awful
Kim started to cry as she listened to her best friend's speech. She felt awful for what she had done and wished she could take it all back.
Then, Kim's brother got up to say, "It's terrible to see you plucked from our lives like that. You were my friend, my support, and my hope."
She Learned From Her Mistake
Kim never heard her brother speak of her like that before, even though they had always been close. During the funeral, she also saw a grave meant for her.
Kim couldn't stop crying that day. Like Melanie, she also liked driving fast because it made her feel powerful and cool. But now, she knew what would happen if she didn't change her driving habits.
"Be Careful"
Then, once again, Kim's best friend spoke directly to her, saying, "Please be careful when you are driving. I don't want to lose you."
Melanie's father also begged his daughter to be careful, saying, "Please never speed again. We love you too much to lose you."
It's Not Worth It
The institute that released this video wanted to send a message that speeding isn't worth it.
"Virtually no one feels it is dangerous to drive a few km/h faster than the maximum speed limit."
Speeding Kills
They went on to say," However, even this 'slight' speeding kills and injures hundreds of people every year. And we tend to ignore the many lives of people close to us that are devastated as well."
"To slow down their loved ones before it is too late, people in this film set up an unusual wake-up call. They invited their speeding friend or family member to their own funeral. The emotional reality check was caught on (hidden) camera."
She Made A Promise
After Anna finished her speech, Kim ran up to her and gave her a big hug. She thanked her for her speech and promised she would never put herself or anyone else in danger again.
Melanie was also moved by her father's speech and promised him she would never speed again.
A Wake-Up Call
Both of these girls were putting themselves at an increased risk of dying in a car accident due to their reckless behavior.
We hope that this story will be a wake-up call for everyone who thinks it's cool to exceed the speed limit.