COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities are investigating what caused a driver to lose control, leave the road and smash into a tree in Austell.
The crash was reported Monday morning on Clay Road in Cobb County.
A neighbor who was outside at the time told Channel 2’s Steve Gehlbach that he heard the tires squeal and saw the black SUV fishtail, swerving back across to the other side of the street.
The SUV smashed into a tree in the front yard of a home.
Authorities said a man in the front passenger seat, identified as Rodney Smith, and 27-year-old Katrina Morris, who was driving were killed instantly.
Four children in the back, two boys and two girls, survived.
Neighbors said they rushed to free the two youngest children from their car seats. They said the children appeared to be about 1 or 2 years old.
The oldest child, around 10 years old, had his leg crushed and pinned by the seat.
The homeowner went outside to see the SUV in her front yard and became emotional as she described the deadly scene to Gehlbach.
Mary Caughron nervously swept her driveway as she told Channel 2 Action News what she saw when the large boom woke her up.
"The children were crying and hollering for mommy and daddy,” witness Mary Caughron said. “It was just awful. Anyway, it wasn't long till they were screaming, 'Bring some towels.' So I ran back into the house. They were trying to get the children out."
Outside the mother's home, Martha Burch struggled to talk about a young woman she said was like a daughter. She pointed us to Morris' Facebook page where pictures of the young woman and her kids were prominent.
"Well she did leave beautiful kids and if they can just pray for the mother, that’s all I can say about that,” Burch said.
Another close friend says Morris in the neighborhood for years and went to McEachern High School together.
“It’s not just touching the family affected, it’s touching everybody. Everybody because we all knew her,” said friend Caralina Beris Samarakahn.
Two of the injured children underwent surgery at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite; a 3-year-old is currently in intensive care. A 1-year-old is being held for observation.