Lone survivor of crash that killed 5 metro Atlanta teens recovering at home

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The metro Atlanta high school where three teens killed in a crash all attended held a ceremony in their honor Thursday.

Ashley Gaitan, 16; Katy Gaitan, 17; and Coral Lorenzo, 17; were three of five teenagers killed in an early Labor Day morning crash at the juncture of Hwy. 316 and I-85.

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A sixth teenager who was in the car, 18-year-old Jonathan Reyes, sustained minor injuries and was released from the hospital Tuesday. He’s recovering at home.

Channel 2′s Bryan Mims was at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County Thursday, where there was a growing memorial for the teens outside the performing arts center.

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Students wore black Thursday and had a private remembrance ceremony for faculty and staff.

Parents Mims spoke to described the last few days as heartbreaking.

“You see it on TV a lot,” parent Susan Easom said. “Then, all of a sudden, it happens at your school. It hits home. It’s tough.”

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Police said a pick-up truck driven by 18-year-old Hung Nguyen collided with another car on the flyover ramp from Hwy. 316 to I-85 around 4 a.m.

Police said the truck flipped over and hit a concrete barrier, landing about 50 feet below on the I-85 onramp. Two of the teens in the Tacoma were ejected.

Mims spoke to the mother of the 20-year-old driver who was in the other car, Emanuel Esfahani. He survived with only minor injuries, but his mother said her son is traumatized by what he witnessed.

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash. They don’t believe it was alcohol-related.

Lakeside High School plans to have a public memorial after the girls’ funerals.

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