ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Just beyond where beauty blooms, tragedy looms. Drivers on Westside Parkway will pass the markings on the road, the shredded bark on the trees and the glass shards littering the woods. They're all reminders to Meghana Naik just how quickly tragedy can strike.
“Respect [cars]. They could be a weapon," Naik said. "They could take lives, and that’s exactly what happened. They took many lives.”
Naik said her children went to high school with one of the victims in a deadly crash that took the life of three teens. Alpharetta Police said Rithwak Somepalli was driving in a 2013 Honda Accord Tuesday night on Westside Parkway between Hembree Road and Maxwell Road. A newly released crash report said Somepalli lost control of the car, hit the median and then two trees. His car landed off-road and upside down, according to the accident report.
Sriya Avasarala and Anvi Sharma, both 18 years old and students at the University of Georgia, did not survive. Aryan Joshi, a senior at Alpharetta High School, was set to graduate next year. He also died after being taken to the hospital. Rithwak and Mohammed Liyakath survived the crash and are recovering at the hospital.
Alpharetta Police Lt. Jason Hiott said investigators believe speed was a factor in the crash, but the case was still under investigation. It's unclear how fast Rithwak was driving Tuesday night before the crash.
“It’s so easy to get complacent in our actions while we’re driving," Hiott said. "But in reality, when you’re driving on the road, that’s one of the most dangerous things we’re going to do on a daily basis."
11Alive obtained data over the last three years for the area around Westside Parkway, near the scene of the crash, to get some more insight into the incidents to which police are responding.
Data shows police responded to 145 speeding incidents in the area since 2021. The highest recorded speed was tracked in 2021 at 74 miles per hour in a 40 miles per hour zone. In all, police have investigated 73 crashes and motor vehicle accidents in the area in the last three years.
"It's unfortunate that you've got to use examples such as this tragic event," Hiott said. "Let your kids know you need to slow down. You need to wear your seat belt, and you need to stay safe by making sure you're aware of your surroundings while you're driving a vehicle."
Where tragedy strikes, it leaves reminders and a warning for Naik. She urged parents to speak with their children about safe driving habits and let them know how precious life can be.
"It doesn't matter whether it's your child or not," Naik said. "It could be anybody's child tomorrow."