Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 5y

Mexico youth player in jail after deadly car crash

Mexico youth international Joao Maleck was involved in a car accident that resulted in the deaths of a married couple on Sunday morning in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, with the 20-year-old being held without bail while he awaits the court date.

Judge Juan Jose Rodriguez determined Tuesday that Maleck would be incarcerated for six months to guarantee that he remains in Mexico during his trial on a homicide charge.

The investigation carried out by the Jalisco state forensic science institute (IJCF) found that the vehicle's driver didn't slow down for a speed bump and hit the car the couple were traveling in from behind at around 9 a.m. on Sunday.

It was determined that the couple's car was traveling at at least 35 kilometers per hour, with Maleck's vehicle going over 70.73 kilometers per hour. The player tested positive for alcohol in a urine test -- 50 milligrams per 100 milliliters of urine -- although the blood test came back negative, stated the report.

The Santos Laguna striker signed on loan to Porto in July 2017 for the 2017-18 season and played on loan at Sevilla Atletico during 2018-19. He previously played for Chivas youth teams in Guadalajara, before moving to Santos.

Maleck is the son of former player Jean-Claude Maleck, who played in Tecos UAG and San Luis in the Mexican league in the 1990s.

Maleck is considered one of Mexico's more talented young strikers, although he wasn't included in El Tri's Under-20s World Cup squad last month. His past season in Spain was blighted by injury.

The defense argued that Maleck's passport had expired and that his loan deal with Sevilla Atletico had run out, lowering the risk of flight.

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