2 Killed In Fiery East Cobb Crash Identified As Floridians

MARIETTA, GA -- Two people killed in a fiery crash in East Cobb this week have been identified as two men from Florida, police said. Joseph C. Gerace, 21, of Tampa, Florida was the driver a white Dodge Challenger that crashed. The passenger in the car was 24-year-old Matthew L. Silvester of St. Augustine, Florida, Cobb police said.

It is unclear at this time whether the pair were evacuees fleeing Hurricane Irma, although metro Atlanta has seen an influx of Floridians this week due to the storm. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Read more:2 killed in fiery crash in Marietta

The crash occurred just after midnight Tuesday on Lower Roswell Road at Ashforde Drive in East Cobb, police said. Preliminary results from an investigation reveals that speed up was a factor in the crash, Cobb police spokesman Dana Pierce said in a news release.

Investigators said that Gerace was going faster than the posted 40-mph speed limit when he apparently lost control on the wet roadway, Pierce said.

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The car veered off the eastern side of the road, striking a stone sign at the park entrance. The Charger then caught fire, Pierce said. Gerace and Silvester both died at the scene of the crash.

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If anyone has information about the crash which may assist Cobb officials, they are urged is to call them at (770) 499-3987.

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