Bond denied for driver charged after 5 teens killed in crash in Gwinnett County
Police: Racing crash killed 5 teens, driver charged
Police say racing caused the deadly Labor Day crash that killed five teens in Gwinnett County and now police have arrested one of the drivers involved. It happened on the State Route 316 to Interstate 85 southbound ramp. One of the vehicles involved plunged more than 30 feet to a road below.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - The other driver involved in the crash on Labor Day that resulted in the death of 5 teenagers in Gwinnett County has been charged in connection to their deaths.
According to Gwinnett County Police Department, 20-year-old Emanuel Rene Esfahani of Hiram was booked into jail at approximately 9 p.m. Sept. 26. He is being charged with 5 felony counts of homicide by vehicle in the first degree; reckless driving; racing on highways; speeding; failure to maintain lane; and a seat belt violation.
GCPD says their investigators determined that Esfahani, who was driving an Infiniti G35, was racing the Toyota Tacoma, driven by Hung Nguyen and occupied by 5 other people.
Emanuel Rene Esfahani
"They were speeding in excess of 100 miles an hour on the exit ramp from State Route 316, leading to Pleasant Hill Road," said Cpl. Ryan Winderweedle with the Gwinnett County Police Department. "When they came upon a vehicle that was traveling slower than they were."
The Tacoma reportedly passed on the left and the Infiniti passed on the right, most likely in the right emergency lane.
The Infiniti then quickly came upon a box truck stopped in the emergency lane and swerved left to avoid the truck, according to police.
"He swerved left across the lanes of travel and into the Toyota Tacoma, unintentionally performing a pit maneuver, causing the Tacoma to lose traction and spin and begin to roll," Cpl. Winderweedle said.
The Tacoma then hit a retaining wall and excess speed caused it to go over the wall and plunge more than 30 feet to the road below.
Esfahani reportedly jumped over the barrier after the crash and landed in a creek. He sustained multiple broken bones as a result and was transported to a local hospital.
MULTI-VEHICLE CRASH KILLS 5 TEENAGERS IN GWINNETT COUNTY
The teens who were killed in the incident were:
Katy Gaitan, 17, of Atlanta
Ashley Gaitan, 16, of Atlanta
Coral Lorenzo, 17, of Atlanta
Hung Nguyen, 18, of Lawrenceville
Abner Santana, 19, of Suwanee
One person survived the crash -- 18-year-old Jonathan Reyes from Lawrenceville.
Three of the students – Ashley Gaitan, Katy Gaitan and Coral Lorenzo – attended Lakeside High School.
"Speeding is very dangerous, the roads have speed limits because that's what the cars are safely able to be able to maneuver on those roads," Winderweedle said.
Investigators are not sure why the vehicles were racing and say they do not believe the drivers knew each other.
Bond was denied for Esfahani on Thursday morning.