Lawyer: Livestreamed, deadly crash caused by blown tire
MERCED, Calif. — The defence attorney for a teenage driver accused of driving drunk while livestreaming the crash that killed her younger sister says a mechanical problem may have caused the accident in California.
“We have reason to believe the accident was caused by wear and tear on the tire, causing it to blow out,” said Ramnik Samrao, the court-appointed lawyer for Obdulia Sanchez. “That’s where we are focusing our investigation.”
Sanchez was driving a car that veered onto the shoulder of the road on the outskirts of Los Banos in central California on July 21. Authorities said she overcorrected, causing the vehicle to swerve and overturn into a field, ejecting and killing her 14-year-old sister, Jacqueline.
Prosecutors said Sanchez was live-streaming on Instagram while driving and that the video, which includes images of the 18-year-old taking her hands from the steering wheel, will be a key piece of evidence in the case.