Five teens were killed and three other individuals injured after a vehicle fell from an elevated ramp onto Interstate 85 (I-85) near Atlanta, Georgia, early on Monday morning, police say.
Just before 4 a.m., Gwinnett County officials received reports that a vehicle had gone “over the wall of the raised ramp”and had fallen onto I-85 near Pleasant Hill Rd in Atlanta, according to a release from Gwinnett County officials.
“I’d say it was about a 50-foot drop,” Cpl. Christian D’Allaird stated, according to WSB-TV.
When county fire personnel arrived on the scene, they identified five deceased victims and another three victims who sustained injuries, the release stated. The injured were transported to local hospitals.
FATAL ACCIDENT UPDATE: @GwinnettPd tells @FOX5Atlanta that five people are dead and three others were transported to the hospital after a multi-vehicle wreck that happened at the intersection area of I-85SB and State Route 316. The cause of the wreck is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/GqQTewa304
— Billy Heath III (@BillyHeathFOX5) September 4, 2023
The Gwinnett County Police Department identified the deceased as Katy Gaitan, 17, Ashley Gaitan, 16, Coral Lorenzo, 17, Hung Nguyen, 18, and Abner Santana, 19, The Georgia Sun reported. Three of the victims attended Lakeside High School together in DeKalb County, the outlet stated. (RELATED: ‘Impossibly Difficult Time’: Five Teens Killed After Car Plunges Into Florida Pond)
In their preliminary investigation, police have determined that two vehicles were involved in a crash, which resulted in one of the vehicles flying over the wall of the ramp and onto the interstate below where it was then hit by another vehicle, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Police are still investigating the circumstances of the initial collision and have asked any witnesses to contact investigators.