14-year-old survivor of livestreamed crash mourns victim

ByCory James KFSN logo
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
14-year-old survivor of live streamed crash mourns victim
Manuela Seja was the third passenger in a crash near Los Banos that sent one woman to jail and killed 14-year-old Jacquelin Sanchez - her girlfriend of seven months.

FRESNO, Calif. -- A surviving victim and girlfriend of the teenager killed in the Central California car wreck livestreamed on Instagram is speaking out about the loved one she lost.

Manuela Seja, 14, sifted through a little black box, with stories of young love tucked inside.

"I'm just happy she made this," Manuela said. "I never thought this would happen."

It's a relationship between two teenagers who started off as close friends. They continued their partnership with their hearts in each other's hands.

MORE: 18-year-old woman arrested after livestreaming deadly crash in Central California

Family members say her 14-year-old sister was killed, and a live recording of the crash has gone viral.

Manuela says 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," Manuela said.

That is why Manuela was in the car last week - sitting in the back seat with Jacquelin while Jacquelin's sister, 18-year-old Obdulia Sanchez, drove them from Fresno to Stockton.

They only made it to Los Banos because Obdulia, who the CHP says was under the influence, 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 in the Merced County Jail. However, she did say 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 says she almost hit an 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.

MORE: Parents reeling after live streamed crash leaves 1 daughter dead, other in jail

14-year-old daughter Jacquelin Sanchez was killed in a crash happened while her sister Obdulia was live streaming on Instagram.

"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 says 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.

Family members started a GoFundMe page for Jacqueline's funeral expenses.

Photos of the scene courtesy of Merced Sun Star