WOODSTOCK, Ga. — Friends say one of two teens killed in a car accident in Woodstock Tuesday night was celebrating his birthday.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the crash happened on Towne Lake Parkway near Towne Lake Hills East around 8:17 p.m.
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Deputies say a Mazda 6 carrying five teenagers left the road and hit a tree. It appears speed was a contributing factor in the accident, according to the sheriff’s office.
One teen died at the scene and another died at the hospital. Deputies identified them as 17-year-old Gabriel Escandon from Marietta and 18-year-old Esteban Cortez-Rendon.
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Channel 2′s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michelle Newell talked to friends of Cortez-Rendon, who said he had a strong faith in God. Tuesday was his 18th birthday, friends said.
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Friends gathered to pray for the teens at a growing memorial at the crash site on Wednesday.
“Esteban was such a pure innocent soul and so dedicated to God. Everything in life was Just about God,” Eric Martinez said. “I wouldn’t be in church right now if it wasn’t for him.”
“It’s devastating, having to lose a friend that was such a mentor to all of us,” friend Samuel Hidalgo said.
Church and faith in God was a common thread when it came to remembering Cortez-Rendon.
“I as well got closer to God with him,” friend Alfredo Gonzalez said. “He was just a great person. Always put a smile on your face. He never had any negative thoughts about anybody.”
They said their friend dedicated his life to God, soccer and his religious clothing brand.
“The mission he had behind his clothing was really inspiring,” Hidalgo said.
Martinez said that Escodan was a great kid as well.
“Him and Esteban were like brothers. They were that close,” Martinez said.
Escodan went to school in Cobb County. It’s unclear how many of the other teens involved in the crash also were students in Cobb. Three remain hospitalized.
The Cobb County School District issued a statement Wednesday, saying:
“Our hearts are broken today following the news that Cobb students were involved in a tragic car accident. Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and entire school community of the studenst who passed away and the students who are being cared for in the hospital.”
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