A fiery crash on a Cobb County roadway Sunday evening killed a 17-year-old girl and seriously injured a 16-year-old driver.
Investigators believe Kayleigh S. Neste lost control of her white Nissan sports car while traveling west on Jamerson Road and crossed into the eastbound lanes near Nevilly Way. The Kennesaw teen came into the path of an oncoming Kia Forte, according to a Cobb County police spokeswoman.
The front of the Kia hit the right side of the Nissan, and the Nissan burst into flames.
“Bystanders assisted the driver out of the Nissan before the vehicle became fully engulfed,” Officer Sydney Melton said in a news release. “Bystanders also used a vehicle to pull the Kia away from the burning Nissan to prevent the Kia from catching fire.”
The driver of the Kia, a 16-year-old girl, was trapped and had to be rescued from the vehicle when firefighters arrived at the scene about 7:15 p.m.
Neste was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital and pronounced dead. She was a student at nearby Kell High School.
“We recently learned of the passing of one of our students. Counselors, administrators and Prevention/Intervention staff are on site to provide support and care for our students and staff during this difficult time,” a spokesperson with the Cobb County School District said in a statement.
The Kia’s driver is also a Cobb County student, according to the district. She was also taken to Kennestone for treatment, and her condition was not provided Monday morning.
It was the second serious crash Cobb County traffic officers investigated Sunday. Another incident on Powder Springs Road sent a 51-year-old Dallas man to the hospital with serious injuries.
Jeffrey D. Lincoln was driving a Chevrolet Corvette “at a high rate of speed” when he lost control, according to police. He crossed into the northbound lanes near Kimberly Drive and collided with a Toyota RAV4 just before 3 p.m.
The driver of the Toyota, identified by police as 49-year-old Maria A. Pineda-Chacon of Marietta, was not seriously injured. Both drivers in that wreck were taken to Kennestone for treatment.
The two crashes remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Cobb police at 770-499-3987.
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