Julia Vega, 73, is facing DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges after allegedly crashing her car into a lake in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, on New Year’s Eve, killing her close friend Elsa Pintor, 69.
Body camera footage released by police shows Vega slurring her words and stumbling while asking officers, “Did my friend die?” She also questioned why she was being subjected to a field sobriety test in public, insisting, “I’m not drunk, we only had wine at Cooper’s Hawk.”
After reportedly failing the tests, a blood sample confirmed that Vega’s blood alcohol level was nearly double the state legal limit. Authorities also found she had been taking Alprazolam (Xanax) at the time of the crash.
Footage shows Vega’s vehicle rolling toward a wire fence before crashing through it and entering the lake. She managed to escape through the driver’s side window with help from an officer using a rope, while Pintor tragically drowned inside the car.
According to court records, Vega’s daughter and Pintor’s son are married with children, linking the families even closer. Vega has pleaded not guilty.
Vega’s attorney, Hilton Napoleon, stated: “Ms. Vega and the victim were best friends who also shared grandchildren together. The incident caused a devastating loss to the family. The family asks for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult moment.”
