ATLANTA, GA – A tragic accident occurred on Labor Day near Atlanta, when a vehicle plummeted from an elevated ramp onto Interstate 85, resulting in the death of five teenagers and injuries to three others. The Gwinnett County authorities reported that the distress call came in just before 4 a.m., indicating that a vehicle had plunged “over the wall of the raised ramp” and landed on I-85 near Pleasant Hill Rd in Duluth, Georgia.
The incident involved three vehicles and took place on a ramp leading to the southbound lanes of Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Upon arrival, emergency responders discovered five fatalities and three injured victims, who were promptly transported to local hospitals for treatment.
The victims were later identified as Katy Gaitan, 17, Ashley Gaitan, 16, Coral Lorenzo, 17, Hung Nguyen, 18, and Abner Santana, 19. Three of the victims were students at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County, according to local police.
Preliminary investigations by the police suggest that two of the vehicles involved in the accident collided, causing one to flip over the ramp’s wall and land on the interstate below. It was subsequently struck by another vehicle. The authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the initial collision and have urged any witnesses to come forward.
Following the accident, the busy interstate was closed off, affecting the SR 316 WB ramps to I85 SB and Pleasant Hill Rd, as well as the I85 SB Collector Distributor to Pleasant Hill Rd.