Salma Hayek’s Brother Injured In Car Crash, Grammy Winning Passenger Dies

Salma Hayek’s brother suffered minor injuries on Sunday after the car he was driving was involved in a crash that resulted in the death of his passenger.

A statement from Los Angeles police on Monday confirmed that 40-year-old Sami Hayek broke several ribs as well as receiving a cut to his head, while 43-year-old Ian Cuttler Sala, who was riding in the passenger seat, “sustained major blunt-force trauma to his body” and was pronounced dead at the scene. Alvin Javier Gomez, the 20-year-old driver of the pickup that collided with Hayek’s 2006 Ford GT, suffered a broken foot.

The Daily Mail have reported that Hayek, who is a renowned furniture designer, crossed into oncoming traffic before smashing into Gomez’ automobile head on. Hayek and Gomez were then taken to UCLA Medical Center for treatment, while paramedics sought to assist Sala.

The tragedy took place at the 10200 block of Sunset Boulevard at 4:50pm on Sunday, which is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Los Angeles. KTLA reported that soon after Hayek and Gomez’s crash, two more accidents occurred in near enough the same location.

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman has suggested that Hayek’s unfamiliarity with the car, which is worth around $165,000, might have lead to the accident. Sgt Stephane Krajchir told KTLA: “Too much speed on a curved roadway, tried to over-correct and unfortunately crossed into opposing lanes.”

It’s not yet known how fast Hayek was driving in the build up to the moment of impact, however the car he was behind the wheel of can reach speeds of 205mph. No charges have yet been filed in relation to the death, however a full investigation is now underway.

Cuttler Sala, who had previously worked with the likes of Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Billy Joel, was a photographer based in New York. He won a Grammy Award in 2006 for designing the package to a Johnny Cash CD box set, while he has also shot pieces for Converse, Gillette, and the Lincoln Center.

Gomez has since been released from hospital, and he is now believed to be recuperating at his family home in San Diego. He has also taken to Twitter to register how grateful he is to have survived the incident. “Only reason I’m alive right now is only because God himself gave me a second chance,” he wrote, before he then paid tribute to Sala’s passing by adding, “Rest in Peace.”

[Image via Featureflash/Shutterstock]