CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA. (THECOUNT) — Yann “Fred” Engamba, has been identified as the 17-year-old driver arrested on a charge of first-degree vehicular homicide following the death of Stephen Smith, 17, a senior and track athlete at Creekview High School, in Canton, GA, Tuesday afternoon. Two other young people were injuries in the serious crash.
Officials say that Engamba was operating a vehicle on Old Orange Mill Road about 2 p.m. when he lost control down, exited the roadway, went down an embankment and struck a tree.
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Smith, the front-seat passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene of blunt force trauma injuries consistent with the violent crash.
Additional passengers, Chase Burr, 17, (pictured below,) and a 15-year-old passenger seated in the back, were also transported to area hospitals.
Burr is expected to remain hospitalized for several weeks with a “very severe neck fracture,” a wrist fracture and bruised lungs, according to a social media post.
Engamba was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital and later released.
Engamba is also facing charges of serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane, according to a Cherokee sheriff’s spokesman. He was placed in the Cherokee County adult detention center on a no-bail bond.
Burr was one of Smith’s teammates on the track and field team at school located on Owens Store Road.
The team said on Facebook Thursday that Burr has a long road to recovery ahead of him. He is expected to remain hospitalized for several weeks with a “very severe neck fracture,” a wrist fracture and bruised lungs, according to the post. source
Services for Smith are set for next week in Canton. A visitation is scheduled for Dec. 3 from 2 to 8 p.m. at Canton Funeral Home on East Cherokee Drive. His funeral will be held Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. at Revolution Church on Union Hill Trail.