The funerals and memorial services for five teenagers and two Morehouse College students killed in separate car crashes on Labor Day began Saturday morning at a small church just outside of Lawrenceville.
Natanael Santana of Suwanee was remembered during a funeral at the Church of God of Prophecy for his contagious laughter and kind heart. The teen died early Labor Day morning along with four others after a crash on I-85 in Gwinnett County, police said. It was only hours after his 19th birthday.
“Natanael lived a life full of laughter, love, and a lightness of heart that brightened the lives of all who knew him. ... Whether he was cracking jokes or lending a helping hand, Nato brought joy to everyone who crossed his path,” according to his obituary.
The funeral was the first of seven that will take place over the next few days in memory of the other four teens who died in Gwinnett and the two Morehouse students who died in East Point.
All seven young people died just hours apart.
Shortly before 4 a.m. on Sept. 4, a 2017 Toyota Tacoma driven by Hung Nguyen, 18, went over the wall of the University Parkway westbound ramp on I-85, police said. The truck struck a passenger car before going over the wall. When the truck fell over the raised ramp onto the I-85 southbound ramp to Pleasant Hill Road, it hit another car, according to police.
In addition to Nguyen and Santana, the crash killed sisters Katie Gaitan, 17, and Ashley Gaitan, 16; and Coral Lorenzo, 17, all from Atlanta. The five teens died at the scene.
A visitation for Lorenzo is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 10, from 1 to 8 p.m. at Fischer Funeral Care at 3742 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Chamblee. The funeral is set to begin at 6 p.m. that same day. A funeral for Nguyen will take place Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 a.m. at the Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church located at 4545 Timmers Way in Norcross.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced for Katie and Ashley Gaitan. A GoFundMe has been dedicated to raising money to cover funeral expenses.
Hours after the Gwinnett crash, a separate wreck killed Hugh Douglas and Christion Files Jr., two Morehouse College students, in East Point. According to the Georgia State Patrol, the two were driving fast on Church Street. After passing another car in a curve, their vehicle left the road, hit two power poles and overturned near the intersection with Linwood Avenue, officials added. The young men died at the scene.
Douglas, the son of retired NFL star Hugh Douglas, will be remembered Saturday, Sept. 16, at 11 a.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church located at 101 Jackson Street in Atlanta. Guests are asked to wear colors instead of grieving in black.
A celebration of life service for 20-year-old Files will occur Saturday, Sept. 16, at 1 p.m. at New Salem Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio.
Douglas and Files were both studying business administration at Morehouse. Douglas interned at a company this summer in Los Angeles. Files, who was interested in photography and videography, created content for the college. The students were roommates during their sophomore year, the college said.
Douglas’ family has put together a memorial fund that will provide scholarships for Morehouse students.
“Hugh was a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend to many. To honor the beacon of light that Hugh was to his family and community, his family has established a Memorial Fund,” the memorial fund states.
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