Hawaii Woman Charged With Murder of Identical Twin Sister After Car She Was Allegedly Driving Plunges Off Cliff

Prosecutors say Alexandria Duval intentionally caused her twin sister's death

Photo: Maui Police Department

A Hawaii woman who was behind the wheel of a truck that plunged off a cliff is facing second-degree murder charges in the death of her identical twin sister, who was in the passenger seat, PEOPLE confirms.

Police allege 37-year-old Alexandria Duval, also known as Alison Dadow, may have caused her twin sister, Anastasia Duval’s, death when her Ford Explorer plunged about 200 feet off of a cliff on the Hana Highway in Hana, Maui, on May 29, according to a police statement obtained by PEOPLE.

Alexandria’s attorney, Todd Eddins, confirms the charge to PEOPLE but does not confirm that his client was driving the vehicle.

“The sisters had an exceptionally close bond even by identical twin standards,” Eddins says. “This is a devastating, heart-shattering tragedy for Alison and her family. We will explore all avenues to combat a charge that, in our view, is extreme and cold-hearted.”

According to The Washington Post, the sisters were well-known yoga entrepreneurs who drove matching Porsches in Florida.

Witnesses reported seeing the sisters arguing with each other, with the passenger pulling the driver’s hair, the Associated Press reports. Witnesses also said that they saw the truck “accelerate forward and then take a sharp left over the cliff,” one prosecutor said.

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Rescue crews had to pry the women from the mangled vehicle and Anastasia was pronounced dead at the scene, KHON 2 reports.

Alexandria was arrested on Friday and appeared in a Wailuku courtroom Monday for the murder charge, appearing to suffer only an injured arm, Eddins says.

One witness called Alexandria’s survival a miracle.

“I’m amazed that that lady survived,” Lawrence Lau told KHOU. “I am really amazed because I saw how far she fell.”

After being freed from the vehicle, Alexandria didn’t want to cooperate with officers, according to court documents obtained by the AP. She was denied bail, with prosecutors calling the woman a flight risk, the AP reports.

“We had information after she was discharged from the hospital she attempted to fly out of the jurisdiction Wednesday night,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Emlyn Higa said in the documents.

Higa added, “All we know is she was trying to leave the state,” Higa said. “We were afraid she would try to leave the country as well.”