Teen victims in deadly Cherokee County crash identified

CANTON, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - 17 year old Steve Smith in his senior year at Creekview High when tragedy struck. The teen died in a single car crash about a mile from school Tuesday afternoon.

“By all accounts the deceased was an amazing kid and everyone’s just tore up about it,” Cherokee Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jay Baker said.

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Grief counselors comforted students and faculty on the close-knit campus cope with Smith’s death while rallying to support the three other classmates who were injured in the wreck when their car left the roadway and crashed into a tree on Old Orange Mill Road.

“He was happy he would always joke in class which was always fun. He was a great student athlete too," one student said.

The injured teens were identified as 17-year-old Fred Engamba, who was driving the vehicle, 17-year-old Chase Burr, and an unidentified 15-year-old.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Enforcement Unit is investigating the crash.

“They’ve got interviews to do with the passengers of the car. They’ve got to talk to some of the people who might of received phone calls prior to the incident," Baker said. "They are going to look at all this evidence then make a determination later on when toxicology results come back then they’ll review what charges they want to file.”

Creekview’s principal sent out a letter saying Smith was "an energetic student, who was known as a friend to all. He always came to class in a good mood with a smile on his face.”

It was not immediately clear what the students were doing off campus at the time. According to the Cherokee County Schools website, the end of the school day is at 3:30 p.m.

The community is quick to take to social media offering their support, thoughts, and prayers. The school’s basketball team Twitter account also said their scheduled games against Sequoyah High School were canceled. The Chiefs quickly joined their Grizzly in offering their condolences, setting aside rivalry and expressing their solidarity with the school.