GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Emanuel Esfahani has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for his involvement in a deadly street racing crash in Gwinnett County.
Esfahani, 22, pled guilty to five counts of vehicular homicide in the first degree, along with charges of serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving.
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The crash, which occurred more than two years ago, involved a Toyota Tacoma driven by 18-year-old Hung Nguyen and resulted in the vehicle falling nearly 40 feet onto Interstate 85.
“It swerved left across the lanes of travel and into the Toyota Tacoma unintentionally performing a pit maneuver causing the Tacoma to lose traction and begin to roll,” Cpl. Ryan Winderweedle, Gwinnett County Police, told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson.
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The crash occurred during a street race between Esfahani and Nguyen, with Esfahani driving at 107 miles per hour when he swerved to avoid a box truck stopped in the emergency lane.
Officials said that was what led to the crash with the Tacoma, which was carrying five other teenagers.
The impact caused the Tacoma to hit a retaining wall and fall onto the interstate below, resulting in the deaths of five of the six people inside the truck.
The dangerous speeds involved in this crash serve as a reminder of the risks associated with street racing, according to members of law enforecement.
Esfahani’s mother said that her son did not intend to harm anyone and did not know the victims personally.
He won’t be eligible for release until 2041.
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