14-year-old survivor of live streamed crash mourns victim
FRESNO, California (WPVI) -- A surviving victim and girlfriend of the teenager killed in Friday's Los Banos, California car accident that was watched live on Instagram is now speaking out.
"I'm just happy she made this," 14-year-old Manuela Seja told KFSN-TV. "I never thought this would happen."
In her little black box are stories of young love tucked inside. It's a relationship between two teenagers who started off as close friends, that continued with their hearts in each other's hand.
Seja said she and 14-year-old Jacquelin Sanchez dated for seven months. Manuela lived in Fresno and Jacquelin lived about 130 miles away in Stockton. But the distance did not keep the two apart.
"She planned on picking me up every weekend," she said.
That is why Manuela was in the car last week sitting in the back seat with Jacquelin while 18-year-old Obdulia Sanchez drove them from Fresno to Stockton.
ORIGINAL REPORT: 18-year-old woman arrested after live streaming deadly crash in California
Except they only made it to Los Banos because Obdulia, who the California Highway Patrol says was under the influence at the time, crashed and killed her sister.
It was all captured live on Obdulia's Instagram.
Manuela did not want to talk about that horrific accident or her girlfriend's sister, who is now sitting in the Merced County Jail. However, she said the person seen in the live video wearing a teal shirt and flagging down help after the crash was her.
And in an earlier video posted by Obdulia that same day, her family said she almost hit a SUV. Jacquelin can be seen and heard in the video saying that Obdulia was driving dangerously.
Manuela is choosing to focus on the good memories and the person Jacquelin was instead of her death.
"She wasn't like everybody else," she said. "She was just funny. She didn't even need to try. She'd always make you smile from the little dumb things she would say, and she wanted to travel the world and do amazing things."
It's a personality shown in a Snapchat video the two recorded weeks ago. And while heartbroken by the loss, Manuela said it is this keepsake of notes, letters and Polaroid pictures that are holding her together.
"I'm glad because it shows how much she cared about me," she said.
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