2 ID'd In Deadly Woodstock Crash That Fell On 18th Birthday

WOODSTOCK, GA— Authorities have identified the two people killed Tuesday night in a crash at Towne Lake Parkway near Towne Lake Hills East.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday Gabriel Escandon, 17, of Marietta, and Esteban Cortez-Rendon, 18, of Woodstock, died in the crash that injured three other people.

The sheriff's office told Patch the deadly crash happened on Cortez-Rendon's birthday.

Authorities said the crash happened around 8:15 p.m., when a Mazda 6 left the roadway and hit a tree in the center median, killing Escandon at the scene.

The other four occupants were taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where Cortez-Rendon died, authorities said.

The driver of the Mazda was a 17-year-old Smyrna teenager who suffered serious, non-threatening injuries in the crash as did an 18-year-old passenger from Tulsa, Oklahoma. A 17-year-old from Marietta suffered serious injuries, authorities said.

Authorities say speed was a contributing factor in the fatal crash. The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office's Traffic Enforcement Unit is investigating the crash.

“The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office is heartbroken by this tragic car accident and we extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends who are mourning their loved ones today. We ask that you keep all the families involved in your prayers," authorities said in a news release.