Alpharetta road to close Tuesday for fatal teen crash investigation
ALPHARETTA, Ga. - The northbound lanes of Westside Parkway between Maxwell and Hembree roads will be closed from 9 until 11 a.m. May 28 for a police investigation, according to Alpharetta Department of Public Safety.
Three teenagers were killed and two more were injured in a crash on May 14 just before 8 p.m.
The deceased included two 18-year-old freshmen at the University of Georgia -- Sriya Avasarala and Anvi Sharma -- and 18-year-old Aryan Joshi, a senior at Alpharetta High School.
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Investigators identified the driver as Rithwak Somepalli, an 18-year-old student at Georgia State University. Mohammed Liyakath, an 18-year-old senior at Alpharetta High School, was also in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Their current conditions are unknown.
Police said shortly after the crash that speed may have been a factor.
Alpharetta police will be continuing their investigation into the deadly crash on Tuesday morning. Although the northbound lanes will be closed, the southbound lanes will remain open. Police said they will share updates as needed.
According to the U.D. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a total of 3,058 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2021. This is 65% fewer than in 1975 and 11% more than 2020.
In 2021, teenagers accounted for 7% of motor vehicle crash deaths and 9% of passenger vehicle occupant deaths. The percentage of crash deaths that were passenger vehicle occupants is lowest for age 13 (55%) and highest for ages 17 and 18 (81%).
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In 2020, motor vehicle crashes was the leading cause of death for females between the ages of 13 and 19 and one of the leading causes for males of the same age.