A 17-year-old was killed and three other teenagers were injured in a Cherokee County crash Tuesday afternoon.
Around 2 p.m., Cherokee sheriff’s deputies responded to a single-vehicle accident on Old Orange Mill Road about a mile north of Creekview High School, agency spokesman Jay Baker said.
Cherokee County School District spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby confirmed to AJC.com that the 17-year-old who died was Stephen Smith, a senior at Creekview.
Smith, who was in the front passenger seat, was found dead at the scene. The 17-year-old driver and a 17-year-old back-seat passenger were seriously injured and taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
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A 15-year-old back-seat passenger was also taken to Kennestone with minor injuries, according to the sheriff’s agency. The three injured were also Creekview students, Jacoby said.
Baker told Channel 2 Action News from the scene that the vehicle lost control down an embankment and hit a tree, starting a small fire. Investigators think speed played a factor in the crash.
A letter sent to parents from Creekview Principal Mark Merges and shared with AJC.com said Smith was “an energetic student who was known as a friend to all.”
“He always came to class in a good mood with a smile on his face,” Merges said. “He was always willing to help out classmates and loved track and field, especially the jumping events.”
Counselors will be at the school Wednesday working closely with students and providing support for those in need.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
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