On May 29, 2016, eyewitnesses watched as an SUV drove off a 200-foot cliff on the winding Hana Highway on the island of Maui. The SUV was seen accelerating towards the cliff with no signs of breaking.
Inside the SUV were two identical twin sisters, Alexandria and Anastasia Duval. The terrible crash left one twin injured and one twin dead.
The police believed the crime scene evidence pointed to a botched murder-suicide attempt.
I agree with the judge that it was an accident, not a suicide/murder. I was driving on a freeway as I listened. I imagined my passenger yanked my hair out by the roots causing sharp pain and my head and body to bend toward my right shoulder. This made me want to automatically turn the steering wheel to the LEFT to right myself. While pretending to be turning the steering wheel to the left, my instinct was to press down hard on my right foot (on the accelerator) to regain balance. I could not have moved my right foot to the brake because turning left would push me to the right along with the hair pulling. I can see her pushing her right foot even harder instinctively trying to regain balance and control. The amount of alcohol in her system would have obviated split second rational thought. What do you think?