Lakeside High School student killed in crash identified as 18-year-old

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The Lakeside High School community is mourning the death of a student killed in a crash.

DeKalb County Schools told Channel 2 Action News that a crash involving three Lakeside students early Saturday morning left one of the students dead.

DeKalb police said the crash happened on Oak Grove Road near Kirkland Drive at around midnight.

The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the person who was killed as 18-year-old Sophie Lekiachvili, who is from Doraville.

Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen was at the scene of the crash Tuesday, where there was a growing memorial of flowers for Lekiachvili. A couple of classmates who had known Lekiachvili for years sat in silence at the memorial.

Friends Petersen spoke to said Lekiachvili was one of the kindest people they’d ever known. They said she planned to attend Auburn University in the fall.

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The two other students are stable according to the district. They have not been identified. It’s unclear who was driving the car or if that person is facing charges.

In a letter to parents, Lakeside Principal Susan Stoddard told parents that students will have access to resources including grief counseling from school counselors, psychologists, and other staff.

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“Everyone reacts to death differently. As a family, we encourage you to talk with your child about this incident to help them share their thoughts and reactions,” Stoddard wrote.

“Our deepest sympathies remain with the loved ones of the students affected during this challenging period. With this in mind, I ask that everyone refrain from speculating about the details of the accident, as this could spread inaccurate and hurtful information to the families and friends of those involved,” Stoddard added.

Petersen spoke to Denise Revels, director of student support services, on Tuesday, about what the school was doing to help students cope.

“Letter writing to the family. Making cards. Just doing things to help that family feel they have support and help those students express their emotions,” Revels said. “We actually go into classrooms and will hold large group sessions with students in the classrooms.”

On Sept. 4, 2023, five teens were killed in an early morning crash crash in Gwinnett County. Three of the teens killed were Lakeside High School students.

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