Three from same high school among 5 killed when car goes over wall, Georgia cops say
Five people died and three others were injured in an early-morning crash on Interstate 85 in Georgia, police say.
Three victims attended the same high school, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Officers responded at around 4 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 4, after multiple 911 calls about a vehicle crash on the State Route 316 ramp to I-85 in Duluth, police said in a news release. Callers told emergency dispatchers that a car went over the ramp wall and crashed onto the interstate.
Authorities arrived to find five people dead at the scene.
They were identified as:
- Katie Gaitan Miranda, 17, of Atlanta
- Ashley Gaitan, 16, of Atlanta
- Coral Lorenzo, 17, of Atlanta
- Hung Nguyen, 18, of Lawrenceville
- Abner Santana, 19, of Suwanee
Three of the teens — Katie, Ashley and Coral — were students at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County, district officials confirmed to McClatchy News.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the students affected during this challenging period,” Principal Susan M. Stoddard wrote in a letter to parents. “We can only imagine the enormous pain and sorrow they are going through, and we are here to support and uplift them in any way we can.”
Three others were taken to a hospital with injuries, though police didn’t give an update on their conditions.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, authorities said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Gwinnett County Police Department Accident Investigation Unit at 678-442-5653.
Duluth is about 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published September 5, 2023 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Three from same high school among 5 killed when car goes over wall, Georgia cops say."