FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Four students from the metro Atlanta area were involved in a fiery, deadly crash during spring break on Monday.
The students, from Forsyth County, were driving along a stretch of Highway 65, north of Apalachicola, when the driver of the jeep lost control and crashed into a tree.
Channel 2’s Tom Regan was at Horizon Christian Academy, where the students attend school, spoke to members of the community who said the incident was a tragedy.
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Officials in Franklin County, Fla. said the crash happened Monday and three of the four teenagers in the vehicle were killed.
The fourth is still in a hospital receiving medical treatment.
Horizon Christian Academy opened its chapel Monday night and again Tuesday to let students and families come together to grieve and pray for the students who were killed.
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The tragedy isn’t just impacting the school community, but residents across the area in Cumming and the larger Forsyth County.
“I feel sorry for the family, tragic, heart breaking,” resident Jonathan Smith said about the crash.
Words of sympathy have spread across Forsyth County over the sudden deaths of the three students, and the hospitalization of the fourth.
Franklin County Sheriff AJ Smith said the crash was complicated due to the damage to the vehicle.
“A good Samaritan stopped and rendered aide to a passenger, a 15-year-old passenger in the jeep, and they were able to pull her out,” Smith said. “Just as they did, the vehicle burst into flames and they were not able to get out any other occupants.”
The driver, an 18-year-old boy form Alpharetta and two other passengers, 16 and 17-year-old girls from Cumming, were pronounced dead at the scene.
“A couple of deputies got there very quickly and they said when it caught fire, there was nothing they could do,” Smith said. “Flames were like, 20 feet high. It was pretty horrific fire, and a horrific crash.”
After the crash, there was an outpouring of sorry and compassion on social media.
“It’s really tragic, I hope they’re okay, I hope they get through it,” resident Audrey Hersmeyer said about the survivor. “Just to know that there’s people out there who care for them and feel bad, and are empathetic.”
The City of Cumming will cast the light of Horizon’s school colors on the city’s water tower for the next few days in memory of the students who died.
Channel 2 Action News was told by officials that the names of the three students killed and the student injured will be released by the sheriff’s office on Wednesday.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
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