Labor Day crash: Five teens die after car flies off overpass and hits another car on Interstate 85 in Atlanta
GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA: Gwinnett County police have named the victims of the Labor Day crash on Interstate 85 in Atlanta as Katy Gaitan, 17, Ashley Gaitan, 16, Coral Lorenzo, 17, Hung Nguyen, 18, and Abner Santana, 19, per Daily Mail.
The five teenagers - three girls and two boys - were reportedly killed in the horrific collision early on Monday, September 4 that forced a car to flip over a wall and eject its occupants 50 feet below.
At least three of the victims attended DeKalb County's Lakeside High School. As per authorities, the three-vehicle crash happened just before 4 am on Monday on a ramp leading to Interstate 85's southbound lanes in Gwinnett County.
Three more persons suffered injuries and were sent to nearby hospitals. Their current state is unknown.
Interstate Collision Leaves 5 Dead and 3 Injured
— Gwinnett County Police (@GwinnettPd) September 4, 2023
Shortly before 4 a.m. 911 calls were received about a vehicle going over the wall of the raised ramp, falling onto the Interstate 85 southbound Collector-Distributor to Pleasant Hill Rd. pic.twitter.com/OAq2zOWXQV
How did the Labor Day crash happen?
According to Fox5 Atlanta, the collision occurred when two automobiles collided on the flyover and one was thrown over the wall and into the street below, hitting another vehicle.
"All the decedents were occupants of the same vehicle, which had gone over the wall of the raised ramp," police stated.
"Next-of-Kin for each of the decedents have been notified. The Gwinnett County Police Department has learned at least 3 of the deceased were students at Lakeside High School in Dekalb County," they added.
"I'd say it was about a 50-foot drop," Cpl Christian D'Allaird stated. "As to what factors went into why the vehicle went over the wall, we don't know that yet."
Crash resulted in prolonged road closure
Although the incident's exact cause is presently unknown, it led to a prolonged closure of the nearby highways.
Interstate 85 is an important route connecting Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.
"The roadways have since re-opened, and the Accident Investigation Unit is continuing the investigation," officials said in their initial press release.
"It has not yet been determined what factors led to the collision, or the seriousness of the injuries to the surviving parties," police added.
Loved ones remember victims of Labor Day crash
The families of the five teenagers and other metro Atlanta students are mourning their loss.
Auner Amexquita described his son Abner Santana, 19, as "a very good student with a lot of dreams."
The heartbroken father said his son was well-liked and made his teachers happy. "He never gave me any trouble," Amexquita stated. "I really miss my son, I really miss him," as per ANF.
"Coral is really nice, she was always really loving, and I knew she had a lot of friends," Lakeside High school senior Will Harper said about Lorenzo. "They were all really well known at Lakeside, everyone knew who they were," he added.
Katie and Ashley Gaitan of Atlanta were recalled as "two beautiful souls who were inseparable from each other" in a GoFundMe page created by their friend Valeria Alvarez Ramos.
Hung Nguyen of Lawrenceville is survived by his brother and parents, according to another GoFundMe page.
Coral Lorenzo's "family and our entire community is grieving the loss of an amazing person," according to the fundraiser page set up for her.
Meanwhile, Abner Santana of Suwanee was remembered as a "cherished member" of the family on the GoFundMe launched to assist with funeral expenses.