When teenagers go to a prom, the last thing on their minds is the fact that they may get in a car accident. Often, they instead have thoughts of dancing and of their partners. However, for one 16-year-old girl, life was tragically cut short in a car accident as a 19-year-old man was driving her and two other girls to a prom after-party in Georgia.
The accident happened in Gwinnett County when the 19-year-old had been driving the girls. Police stated that the teen crossed the centerline so he wouldn’t crash into the car that was directly in front of him. Unfortunately, he struck a car coming from the opposite direction instead.
Two passengers, including the 16-year-old who later died, were thrown from the vehicle. Two other passengers, who are sisters, were seriously injured and hospitalized, though further information on their medical condition was not initially reported. The driver was also hospitalized at first and then later released to the Gwinnett County jail. He faces vehicular homicide, serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving and improper lane change.
The father of the deceased girl indicated that, although he feels sorry for the teenage driver, he wants to pursue the criminal charges for a car accident that likely could have been easily avoided. It is almost inconceivable to imagine the pain that all of the families must be experiencing as they attempt to cope with the aftermath of the tragic collision.
Source: 11 Alive, “Teen charged in deadly post-prom wreck,” Duffie Dixon and Eve Chen, April 30, 2012