Expiation for accidental killing by a car driver

Question:
I am a taxi driver, which is my source of livelihood. By Allah’s decree and divine decree, I overturned the car, and four people died with me. Two of them forgave me regarding the blood money, and two of them had their blood money guaranteed by the state because they were unknown. Do I have to fast or give charity?

Answer:
If you were the cause of their deaths, you owe a camel for the right of each believer. If you do not pay it, you must fast for two months for each person. For the four, that is eight months, with each two-month period being consecutive. This applies if you were the cause of the overturning, such as losing control until it overturned, deviating from the road until you collided and overturned, or something similar, where you were the cause of this overturning, or if you were intoxicated, drowsy, sleeping, or taking pills that alter a person’s sensation, causing the overturning due to that. In that case, you owe both the blood money and the expiation. However, if you were not the cause, but the matter overtook you—meaning you were driving in the proper place, did not violate the road rules, and did not violate the regulations, but were driving with your mind and senses intact, yet something malfunctioned in the car, such as the steering arm or a bolt or something else, causing the overturning without any cause from your side—then nothing is required of you.