Man In Crash That Killed 2, Injured 2 Sentenced In Cherokee

CANTON, GA — A 19-year-old man who pled guilty in a single-car crash that killed two people and injured two others in January 2024 in Woodstock's Towne Lake area has been sentenced to prison, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said.

Oliver Luis Roman, of Powder Springs, was sentenced on Sept. 25 after entering a non-negotiated guilty plea to two counts of first-degree homicide by vehicle, three counts of serious injury by vehicle and one count of reckless driving, prosecutors said Tuesday.

A non-negotiated plea allows defendants to plead guilty and receive a sentence from the judge after hearing recommendations from both sides.

The deadly crash happened around 8 p.m., Jan. 9, 2024 at Towne Lake Parkway. Prosecutors said Roman drove 93 mph in a 2018 Mazda 6, exceeding the 40 mph limit.

He lost control of the car while traveling around a right-hand curve on a wet road, and the car hit a tree in the center median, prosecutors said.

Cherokee Fire and Emergency Services had to extricate the five occupants in the "mangled vehicle," prosecutors said.

One of the passengers captured cell phone video that showed Roman speedily weaving through traffic, and witnesses said Roman was recklessly driving, prosecutors said.

Passenger Gabriel “Gabe” Escandon, 17, of Marietta, died at the scene, prosecutors said. They added a second passenger, Esteban Cortez-Rendon, 18, of Woodstock, died on the way to the hospital.

Two other passengers were seriously injured, including:

• An 18-year-old man visiting from Oklahoma who suffered a laceration on the liver, injury to the right kidney, contusion of the lung, multiple rib fractures and multiple fractures in his right arm.
• A 17-year-old Marietta boy who suffered a traumatic brain injury, respiratory failure, acute kidney failure, multiple rib fractures, fractures in the first and second thoracic vertebra and fractures in his left leg and arm. He spent 42 days in ICU followed by rehabilitation care at the Shepherd Center before returning home in a wheelchair to continue his recovery.

The sheriff's office previously told Patch the crash happened on Cortez-Rendon's 18th birthday. Prosecutors say the group of five had been at his home celebrating the occasion.

"Four of them grew up together playing soccer; the fifth was a good friend of Cortez-Rendon visiting from Oklahoma. They all shared a strong Christian faith and deep dedication to the sport of soccer. They were college-bound high school students with promising futures," prosecutors said in a news release.

At the plea hearing, family members said Escandon was hardworking, loyal and was a person "of quiet faith," according to prosecutors. They requested Roman commit his life to "honoring those lost and injured."

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Cortez-Rendon's family said he lived to serve others, and that his death left behind a "devastating void." They asked for the maximum sentence.

The two surviving crash victims spoke at the hearing, sharing the effects of their injuries and detailing the road to recovery, prosecutors said.

“The state’s position is that this was an intentional, reckless act," Cherokee County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis said in the release.

"When the defendant got behind the wheel that day, he chose to drive in a manner that showed complete disregard for the safety of others. The defendant had a responsibility to the four people in his vehicle, and he failed them. Two families lost loved ones, and two survivors will live with the physical and emotional impact of that day for the rest of their lives.”

Cherokee County Superior Court Judge David L. Cannon Jr. sentenced Roman to 20 years with the first year to be served in the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center.

The sentencing came against both the state's recommendation of 20 years with 10 to serve in custody and the defendant's request for sole probation.

As part of the sentence, Roman must complete 240 hours of community service, pay restitution, have no contact with the victims or their families and surrender his driver’s license, prosecutors said. He was sentenced under the First Offender Act and given a behavioral incentive date of three years.

“The consequences of driving recklessly are tragic and permanent, and they ripple through families, friends and entire communities,” Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said in the release. “These were good young men with so much promise and potential. To the victims and their families: I want you to know that we see your pain and carry your stories with us forever.”