A pickup truck careened over a wall and landed on its roof along a Georgia interstate on Monday, killing all five teenagers inside, police said.
The 4 a.m. Labor Day crash happened on the westbound ramp of State Route 316 to southbound Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County, part of the Atlanta metro area.
The wreck involved the pickup and two cars, Gwinnett County police Sgt. Michele Pihera told USA TODAY.
Police said they responded to the scene after getting 911 calls about a vehicle going over the wall of a raised ramp and falling onto the I-85 southbound collector-distributor road to Pleasant Hill Road.
At the scene, Gwinnett County firefighters pronounced five people dead and transported three other people to local hospitals for non life-threatening injuries, Pihera said.
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Police identified the dead as: Katy Gaitan, 17, Ashley Gaitan, 16, Coral Lorenzo, 17, Hung Nguyen ,18, and Abner Santana, 19.
Pihera said all five teens were in the pickup that went over the ramp wall.
Three of the victims attended Lakeside High School in DeKalb County, police said.
Details about the other three victims were not immediately provided by police.
The crash shut down parts of State Route 316 and I-85 for several hours on Labor Day. The roadway was reopened to traffic on Tuesday.
The DeKalb County School District did not immediately return calls for comment Tuesday morning.
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Lakeside High School Principal Dr. Susan Stoddard addressed the loss of students Katy Gaitan, Ashley Gaitan and Coral Lorenzo stating that teachers have been informed.
“With profound sorrow, we inform you of the tragic automobile accident that happened early Monday, resulting in the loss of three of our students,” Dr. Stoodard said in an announcement shared with USA TODAY. “We hope you will remember Katie, Ashley, and Coral’s families during this difficult time.”
Stoodard asked the community to refrain from speculating the circumstances of the accident as they may be “inaccurate, deeply hurtful and unfair.”
DeKalb County School District Superintendent Dr. Devon Q. Horton said the district will support the Lakeside High School Community and added self-care and compassion are crucial at this time.
“We understand that grief is a profoundly personal journey, and we are committed to providing the necessary support to help you heal,” Horton shared.
On Tuesday, police said the cause of the crash remained under investigation.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Gwinnett police.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.
5 teens killed, 3 injured as pickup flips onto Atlanta-area interstate – USA TODAY
