Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Student, Injured Classmates

CANTON, GA — The Cherokee Sheriff's Office has charged the 17-year-old driver in connection to Tuesday's fatal accident that killed a Creekview High School student and injured three other teenagers.

Yann "Fred" Engamba, 17, also a Creekview student, is charged with vehicular homicide in the first degree, serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane, CSO spokesperson Jay Baker said. Engamba was arrested Thursday and booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center. A Magistrate Court judge set bond for Engamba at $20,000, and the teen bonded out of the facility late Friday afternoon, Baker said.

Engamba was behind the wheel of the passenger vehicle around 2 p.m. Nov. 27 when the car veered off Old Orange Mill Road near Ga. 20 and crashed into a tree, the Cherokee Sheriff's Office said. The collision killed Smith, a 17-year-old Creekview senior, and injured classmate Chase Burr, also 17.

Burr remains hospitalized at WellStar Kennestone Hospital while Engamba and a 15-year-old passenger were treated and released from the facility.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)

Creekview High School Principal Dr. Mark Merges informed parents of the tragedy in a letter dispatched Tuesday afternoon. The school "experienced a great loss" in Smith's death. Dr. Merges noted other students were seriously injured in the collision, and the Creekview family is keeping those accident victims in their prayers.

"Stephen was an energetic student who was known as a friend to all," the principal said. "He always came to class in a good mood with a smile on his face. He was always willing to help out classmates, and loved Track and Field, especially the jumping events."

Tuesday's fatal crash has rallied the community to assist the families of Smith and Burr, as two GoFundMe pages have been created to help pay for expenses related to funeral services and medical treatments. As of Friday, the Stevie Smith Memorial Fund has raised more than $15,000 while the Burr Family Fund page has received more than $6,000 in donations.

A meal train has also been created to help keep the Burr family well nourished while they focus on the 17-year-old student's recovery. Details about the logistics of that operation can be found here.

You can make visit the GoFundMe page for Stevie Smith and Chase Burr to consider making donations.

Photo: Fred Engamba. Credit: Cherokee Sheriff's Office