Felony Charges Filed In Deadly Instagram Crash
STOCKTON (CBS SF) -- An 18-year-old has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and four other counts in a fatal crash that killed her sister and was captured live on her Instagram page, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Harold Nutt called Obdulia Sanchez's behavior before, during and after the crash "disturbing and shocking."
The four other counts Sanchez faces are two counts of driving under the influence resulting in injury and two counts of driving with a .08% blood alcohol content causing injury.
Further investigation will take place and the District Attorney's office is not ruling out the possibility of additional charges, Nutt added.
"The behavior demonstrated both prior to and after the incident, as documented by the defendant's own recording, is disturbing and shocking," said Nutt. "The Merced County District Attorney's Office will do everything in its power to see that justice is done in this matter."
The single car accident on July 21 in Los Banos claimed the life of Sanchez's 14-year-old sister, Jacqueline, and injured 14-year-old passenger Manuela Seja.
The case has garnered international attention as a result of Sanchez livestreaming her actions on social media immediately prior to and after the accident.
Seja spoke to CBS 47 on Tuesday about the crash and her friend Jacqueline.
"She was brave and she was smart," Manuela said of Jacqueline.
Both Manuela and Jacqueline were thrown from the car by the force of the accident. Neither were wearing seat belts. Fortunately, Manuela only suffered cuts and bruises.
"There is no blaming one person for this," Manuela said of the crash. "Honestly, I'm not mad at anybody. It's all affected by social media. That's what life is now. "
Obdulia was expected to make her first court appearance Wednesday.
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The California Highway Patrol said Sanchez was driving a Buick Century when it veered onto the right shoulder of a road. She over-corrected the turn, which caused the vehicle to swerve across lanes, crash through a wire fence and overturn into a field.
Obdulia Sanchez filmed a video on her cell phone before, during and after the crash that was posted on Instagram.
"I killed my sister, but I don't care," Obdulia said on Instagram video. "I killed my sister. I know I'm going to prison, but I don't care. I'm sorry baby. I'm a hold it down."
The Instagram video post ends with her kneeling next to her dead sister. A recording of the livestream shows Obdulia shaking the girl after the crash and saying she was sorry.
"Wake up baby, I'm f**king sorry baby," she says. "I did not mean to kill you sweetie."
The livestream was recorded from Instagram and posted on Facebook by someone who had seen it. Stockton resident Mary Hernandez said she saw the video there and reposted it.
"People need to know these things can happen," Hernandez said, adding that she had gotten a range of responses from anger to gratitude.
"I mean no disrespect to their family for posting it," she said. Hernandez said she knew about Obdulia Sanchez through social media but they never met in person.
Relatives have set up a GoFundMe page to pay for the funeral of Jacqueline Sanchez. The page says she was planning to celebrate her 15th birthday — known as a quincenera — on Sunday.
