An 18-year-old driving a 2017 Honda Accord killed two San Jose siblings in a car accident while attempting to flee the Santa Clara County sheriffs last week.
What happened: The fatal crash happened around 10 p.m. on April 26 when officers attempted to pull over the suspect, Roberto Joseph Garcia of Morgan Hill, Calif., at Lawrence Expressway, according to KTVU.
- The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Precious Nievas, 25, and Philip Nievas, 21, on April 30, Mercury News reported.
- Authorities said officers tried to pull Garcia over after he made several lane changes at the expressway and executed a U-turn without using his signal light.
- Garcia sped away after officers turned on their vehicle’s flashing light. The suspect ran a red light and hit the Nievas siblings, who were driving a 1999 Toyota Camry, as they were turning left onto Mitty Way, according to KPIX 5.
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Fatal crash: The Nievas siblings died at the scene while Garcia and his unnamed 17-year-old passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
- Garcia is now in police custody as he remains in the hospital to be treated for serious injuries, including a broken back. Authorities also arrested Garcia’s passenger.
- A GoFundMe campaign has been set up on behalf of the Nievas family. The fundraiser has raised over $24,000 as of this writing.
- The Nievas siblings worked at Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics and lab-testing company in Sunnyvale.
Charges: Garcia is facing two counts of murder with enhancements on the allegation that he used a vehicle as a weapon. He was previously charged for a DUI on April 7.
- These murder charges are based on the notion of implied malice, stating Garcia should have been aware that his actions on the night of the road accident could have been deadly.
- The suspect is also facing two felony counts of eluding a police officer, one for causing the deaths of the victims and the second for injuring his 17-year-old passenger.
- Authorities also charged Garcia with two felony counts of having a concealed, loaded gun in his car and a misdemeanor for illegally possessing cannabis for sale.
- Both Garcia and the passenger will be brought to the Santa Clara County Main Jail and Juvenile Hall upon leaving the hospital.
Those who have information on the crash and other auto accidents are encouraged to call the SJPD traffic investigations unit at (408) 277-4654.
Featured Image via GoFundMe
