Alexandria, left, was driving the car that killed passenger Anastasia Duval. Picture: Facebook

Prosecutors say Alexandria Duval, who is also known as Alison Dadow, intentionally caused the death of her identical twin sister, Anastasia Duval, also known as Ann Dadow.

The 37-year-old sisters were in a Ford Explorer travelling south on Hana Highway in Maui when they crashed into a rock wall last week, plunging about 200 feet onto a rocky shoreline, police said.

Anastasia Duval was pronounced dead at the scene. Her sister was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

A vehicle sits at the bottom of a cliff in Maui. Picture: APSource:AP

Alexandria Duval was ordered to be held without bail by a judge. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Witnesses saw the two women arguing while the vehicle was stopped and said the passenger was pulling the driver’s hair, Maui Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Emlyn Higa said. Then they saw the vehicle “accelerate forward and then take a sharp left over the cliff,” he said.

One of the witnesses said the driver appeared to be in a rage before the vehicle went over the cliff, according to documents filed in court.

The vehicle’s airbag control module showed that the driver didn’t attempt to brake before accelerating, making a hard left and hitting the wall, the documents said.

Hana resident Margie Aumaier said she was surprised anyone survived the crash after seeing that the vehicle landed on its side. Emergency workers used her yard as a helicopter landing zone for the complicated rescue, she said.

Witnesses said they were surprised that anyone survived the crash. Picture: APSource:AP

After being extricated from the vehicle, the driver didn’t want to give officers any information and only identified herself as “Alex,” the document said.

Alexandria Duval was arrested on Friday.

“We had information after she was discharged from the hospital she attempted to fly out of the jurisdiction,” Ms Higa said. She wasn’t able to leave on Wednesday and had flight arrangements to fly to the West Coast on Friday night, prompting police to arrest her, according to the court documents.

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

Rescue workers respond to the scene of a car crash in Maui. Picture: APSource:AP

She appeared in court on Monday with her arm in a sling, said her defence lawyer, Todd Eddins. A judge ordered that she continue to be held without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

“Alison did not try to harm herself or the person she most loved and was closest to in the world,” Mr Eddins said after the hearing, calling the situation a “heart-shattering” tragedy for the sisters’ family.

Mr Eddins said the family still refers to the sisters by their given names.

It’s not clear when the twins changed their names, Ms Higa said. Their Hawaii driver’s licenses are in their new names, bearing the same Haiku address, he said.

Rescue workers lift Alexandria Duval, who is also known as Alison Dadow, from the bottom of a cliff on Maui’s Hana Highway in Hana, Hawaii. Picture: APSource:AP

They’re originally from Florida, where they ran a successful yoga business, and moved to Hawaii in December from Utah, Mr Eddins said.

“They were in the process of building a business plan and were aspiring to open up studios here,” he said. “They had an extremely close bond.”