Petrino told the police investigating the crash that the sun and wind had caused him to lose control and crash into a pile of dirt and tree limbs on the side of the road, according to the police report.

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But a statement released by the Cuban government on Sunday said witnesses to the crash reported the car had lost control on its own and crashed into a tree.

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Bales with hit-and-run in 2008 after he drove his 2004 Mustang off a road, slamming into a tree and flipping, then leaving the scene of the crash.

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The government statement says there was not a second car involved in the crash and said the rental car that Paya was traveling in lost control and crashed into a tree.

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