A video captured on Snapchat shows the moments before a speeding driver crashed and killed five people.
The driver of the vehicle has been identified as 22-year-old Pablo Cortes. He and passenger, 19-year-old, Jolie Bartolome, both died in the crash on Wednesday which also claimed the lives of a female driver and her two young children. Two other children are fighting for their lives.
The speedometer filter on Snapchat quickly escalades to 115mph which is approximately 185km/h.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iwH6qIDGX0
Cortes was driving the highway when he lost control of his Volkswagen Golf, and slammed head-into a minivan.
Bartolome is heard in the video laughing at the speed. She also pans left to show Cortes slamming on his gearshift.
Jolie Bartolome and Pablo Cortes
The female driver has been identified as Marianela Portocarrero. A member of her family has set up a
GoFundMe page to raise funds for her burial.
She writes:
“Our family lost an amazing mother, my cousin Marianela Portocarrero and two of her wonderful children, Maria Isabela and John Jr in an accident caused by a driver who was using excessive speed. Her daughter, Lina Bernal and niece Luisa Loiza, were in the vehicle also, and are now fighting for their lives.”
Portocarrero Family
“Our prayers are with the families of the additional lives lost in what we can only describe as a nightmare. Her surviving daughter and husband's lives will never be the same; our lives will never be the same. We have to do the unthinkable and bury a mother and her two young children. We need help from the community to give them a proper burial and to assist with anything the survivors will need.”
“We have lost 3 lives, but heaven has gained 3 angels.”
