A devastating car accident on I-85 South at GA-316 in Gwinnett County has claimed the lives of five Georgia teens, three of whom were students at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County. The accident occurred on a raised ramp, where the vehicle carrying the teens went over the wall and landed on the Collector-Distributor road leading to Pleasant Hill Rd.
The Victims
The Gwinnett County Police Department has identified the deceased as Katy Gaitan, 17, and Ashley Gaitan, 16, both from Atlanta; Coral Lorenzo, 17, also from Atlanta; Hung Nguyen, 18, from Lawrenceville; and Abner Santana, 19, from Suwanee. All next of kin have been notified.
Lakeside High School in Mourning
The Lakeside High School community is grappling with the loss of three of its students. The school is located in DeKalb County and is already working on providing support to grieving students and staff.
The Accident Details
The accident occurred shortly before 4 a.m., according to multiple 911 calls. The vehicle plunged over the wall of the raised ramp, landing on the I-85 southbound Collector-Distributor road leading to Pleasant Hill Rd. Gwinnett County Fire Personnel confirmed the deaths of all five individuals at the scene. Three additional individuals were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
Road Closures and Reopenings
As a result of the accident, the SR 316 westbound ramps to I-85 southbound and Pleasant Hill Rd were temporarily shut down but have since been reopened.
Ongoing Investigation
The Gwinnett County Police Department’s Accident Investigation Unit is actively investigating the accident. The circumstances leading to the collision and the severity of the injuries sustained by the survivors remain undetermined. Witnesses are urged to come forward and share any pertinent information they may have. Those with helpful details can contact GCPD Investigators via email at pdaccidentinvestigationunit@gwinnettcounty.com or by phone at 678-442-5653.
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