Current:Home > ContactPolice charge man in deadly Georgia wreck, saying drivers were racing at more than 100 mph -EliteFunds
Police charge man in deadly Georgia wreck, saying drivers were racing at more than 100 mph
View
Date:2025-04-17 19:43:54
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man has been charged with vehicular homicide after police say he was one of two drivers racing at speeds above 100 mph (160 kph) in a Sept. 4 crash that killed five teens on a suburban Atlanta highway.
Gwinnett County police said Emanuel Rene Esfahani, a 20-year-old Lawrenceville man, turned himself in Tuesday and is charged with five counts of vehicular homicide. He’s also charged with reckless driving, racing, speeding, unsafe lane change and not wearing a seatbelt.
Esfahani was being held in jail with no bail set Wednesday. A clerk in Gwinnett County Magistrate Court said no appearance before a judge was yet scheduled and no lawyer was listed in court records. The Associated Press could not immediately find a phone number associated with Esfahani’s address.
Investigators say Esfahani was racing a pickup truck driven by 18-year Hung Nguyen about 4 a.m. on Labor Day on Georgia 316 when the two came upon a slower vehicle. Police say they believe Esfahani, driving an Infiniti G35, swerved into the right-hand emergency lane on a curving flyover ramp that merges onto Interstate 85 to pass the vehicle, while Nguyen passed it on the left.
But Esfahani came upon a truck stopped in the emergency lane and swerved left, striking Nguyen’s Toyota Tacoma. The truck then began to spin and roll, investigators say, plunging over a concrete barrier and 37 feet (11.3 meters) to the ground, coming to rest upside down on an adjoining exit ramp.
The wreck killed Nguyen and four passengers: 17-year-old Katy Gaitan of Atlanta, 16-year-old Ashley Gaitan of Atlanta, 17-year-old Coral Lorenzo of Atlanta and 19-year-old Abner Santana of Lawrenceville. The Gaitan sisters and Lorenzo were students at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County.
One passenger in the Tacoma survived. Jonathan Reyes, 18, sustained minor injuries and was released from the hospital a day later.
Two passengers in the truck were ejected in the crash, investigators said. One had not been wearing a seatbelt, but investigators could not determine if the second passenger had been wearing one.
A third driver on the exit ramp struck one of the victims ejected from the Tacoma, Gwinnett County police Capt. Ryan Winderweedle said. He said the driver of the third vehicle was injured when he pulled over and tried to get off the roadway by climbing over a wall on a bridge. The third driver fell about 25 feet (7.6 meters) into a creek, breaking multiple bones.
The crash happened about 23 miles (37 kilometers) northeast of downtown Atlanta.
veryGood! (69213)
Related
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- The Skinny Confidential’s Lauryn Bosstick Talks Valentine’s Day Must-Haves for Your Friends and Family
- 2026 FIFA World Cup final to be played at MetLife Stadium
- Taylor Swift wore white dress with black accessories on Grammys red carpet
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Céline Dion's Rare Outing With Son René-Charles at 2024 Grammys Put the Power of Love on Display
- A 19-year-old man who drowned in lake outside SoFi Stadium was attending concert: Reports
- Shannen Doherty Responds After Alyssa Milano Denies Getting Her Fired From Charmed
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s 2024 Grammys After-Party Date Night Will Capture Your Attention
Ranking
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Celine Dion's surprise Grammys appearance gets standing ovation amid health battle
- Texas mother rescues 2 children, dies trying to save 1-year-old from house fire
- Step up? Done. Women dominate all aspects of the Grammys this year
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Grammys 2024: Why Trevor Noah Wants Revenge on NFL Fans Who Are Mad at Taylor Swift
- Andy Cohen Breaks Silence on Kandi Burruss' Shocking Real Housewives of Atlanta Departure
- Meet 'Dr. Tatiana,' the professor getting people on TikTok excited about physics
Recommendation
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Why Miley Cyrus Called Out Audience at 2024 Grammy Awards
Beyoncé hasn't won Grammys album of the year. Who was the last Black woman to hold the prize?
Jay-Z Calls Out Grammy Awards for Snubbing Beyoncé
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Why Gwen Stefani Felt Selfish During Early Days of Motherhood
Senators release border-Ukraine deal that would allow the president to pause U.S. asylum law and quickly deport migrants
Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, to publish book on caregiving