Yoga expert charged with MURDERING her twin sister by driving a car 200ft off the side of a mountain
Alexandria Duval accused of deliberately steering off a cliff to kill sister Anastasia
A YOGA expert has been charged with murdering her twin sister by driving off a 200ft cliff.
Alexandria Duval, 37, was at the wheel when her Ford Explorer plunged to the rocky shore below the coast road.
She was flown to hospital in a critical condition but her twin Anastasia, who was in the passenger seat, was killed.
Prosecutors allege Alexandria accelerated and deliberately steered into a wall in the moments before the fatal crash in Hawaii, US.
Witnesses claimed they saw the sisters arguing and the passenger was pulling the driver's hair while the vehicle was stopped.
They then saw the car "accelerate forward and then take a sharp left over the cliff," said Emlyn Higa, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney on the island of Maui.
The sisters, who also used the names Alison and Ann Dadow, used to run a yoga business called Twin Power Yoga in Palm Beach, Florida, before moving to Utah and then Hawaii.
They were driving south on the Hana Highway when the car smashed through a barrier on May 29.
Court documents say the vehicle's air-bag control module shows the driver made no attempt to brake before impact.
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Witness Lawrence Lau said he feared for his life when he saw the SUV speeding towards him just before it drove off the cliff.
He said: "My first thought when she was coming past us was, 'Don't hit me, don't hit me,' because she was slightly out of control.
"She was doing 40mph from a dead stop at that point."
He said that he also saw the pair fighting shortly before the crash, adding: "I saw a pair of hands jerking the head, pulling the hair.
"There were hands pulling her head down like this, and her head was jerking."
Margie Aumaier, whose yard was used as a landing pad for the helicopter rescue, said she was surprised anyone survived the crash after seeing the crushed remains of the vehicle on the rocks.
Alexandria Duval was arrested on Friday when authorities found out she was trying to leave Hawaii.
Mr Higa said: "We had information after she was discharged from the hospital she attempted to fly out of the jurisdiction Wednesday night."
He said the suspect tried again on Friday, prompting her arrest. The prosecutor said: "All we know is she was trying to leave the state. We were afraid she would try to leave the country as well."
Alexandria appeared in court on Monday with her arm in a sling. She was held in custody until another hearing next week.
Her defence attorney Todd Eddins said it was a "heart-shattering" tragedy for the sisters' family.
He said: "Alison did not try to harm herself or the person she most loved and was closest to in the world."
He added: "They were in the process of building a business plan and were aspiring to open up studios here. They had an extremely close bond."
However, reports say the women closed their Florida studios abruptly and their time in Utah was fraught with financial and legal problems.
The twins were well known in Palm Beach, driving around in matching Porsches and shopping in fancy boutiques.
But they left the state after closing their two yoga studios with no notice in 2014 and without paying employees or reimbursing customers, according to reports.
They resurfaced in Park City, Utah, and opened another studio – but filed for bankruptcy the same year.
Both sisters also have lengthy criminal records.
In Utah Alexandria was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, fleeing the scene of an accident and driving without insurance.
In January 2014, she was charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
Her sister Anastasia was arrested in 2014 for public intoxication, assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and interference with an arrest.
She also had convictions in Florida for disorderly intoxication, battery and resisting arrest.