A rollover crash left three teen girls dead Sunday night after they were thrown from a car in Cobb County, officials said.
Mitia Pruitt, 17, Chloe Dudley, 18, and Maniya Connelly, 19, were all killed in the incident, police said in a statement on Tuesday. All three passengers are from different parts of Ohio. Connelly is from Akron, Pruitt is from Steubenville and Dudley is from Xenia.
The car’s driver was injured in the wreck, which happened on Six Flags Parkway near Queensferry Drive just before 11 p.m., officials said.
Martez D. Smith, 21, of Jonesboro, was behind the wheel of a Chrysler 200, according to Cobb police spokeswoman Officer Shenise McDonald. Charles N. Trotter, 21, of Roswell, was in the front passenger’s seat.
Investigators said the Chrysler left its lane when it came around a curve in the road too quickly. The car crossed into the westbound lane, left the road and smashed into a tree, McDonald said. It then overturned and came to a stop on the north side of the road.
One of the backseat passengers died at the scene, McDonald said. Investigators did not specify who it was. The other two teens were taken to Wellstar Medical Center, where they were later pronounced dead.
Smith was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Trotter, who was not injured, got out of the car and left the scene on foot. He was found later and taken into custody on an outstanding warrant, McDonald said.
“The circumstances which brought the victims in contact with the driver and front-seat passenger are still being investigated,” police said in the statement.
Anyone with information about the deadly crash is asked to contact investigators at 770-499-3987.
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