A deadly crash in Florida claimed the lives of three metro Atlanta teens and left a fourth critically injured at the start of spring break week.
Franklin County Sheriff AJ Tony Smith said the crash happened on Highway 65 near Apalachicola.
“We’ve had a really terrible traffic accident up there with fatalities,” Smith said.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the vehicle was driving southbound on State Road 65, just south of Brickyard Road, when it crossed the northbound lane, ran off the east shoulder, collided with a tree, and caught fire.
Witnesses were able to remove the front right passenger before the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames, officials said.
The driver and two other passengers remained inside the vehicle and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The surviving passenger was airlifted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with critical injuries. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, all four teens inside the vehicle were wearing seatbelts.
Two of the teens are from Alpharetta and two are from Cumming, Georgia, according to officials. The names of the teens were not released, but their ages range from 16 to 18.
The crash remains under investigation.