Investigators believe a 21-year-old driver ran off the road and then overcorrected, causing a two-vehicle crash that killed himself and his two brothers Monday night in south Paulding County.
Edgar Manrique Mendoza was driving a 2002 BMW south on Dallas Nebo Road around 8:50 p.m. when he left the road at a curve, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Mendoza then got back on the road and crossed the centerline, directly in the path of a 2012 Toyota Tacoma, investigators said.
Paulding County Fire Department
Paulding County Fire Department
Mendoza and his two passengers — his younger brothers — all died at the scene of the wreck, near the intersection with Westwick Place, the State Patrol said. Kevin Mendoza, 15, was the front-seat passenger and Melvin Espinal, 12, was seated behind the driver. All three lived in Douglasville, according to investigators.
The driver of the Toyota, whose name was not released, was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, a spokesman for the Paulding fire department said.
The crash remained under investigation Tuesday, the GSP said.
According to a GoFundMe page created for the brothers, their mother is in Honduras. Money raised will assist with sending the three to Honduras for burial, the page states.
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