NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Alpharetta, GA, June 26, 2024: The driver involved in a fatal car crash last month in Alpharetta has been charged with the deaths of three teens who were his passengers. Rithwak Somepalli, 18, was arrested and booked into the Fulton County Jail early Wednesday morning. He faces three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving.
The tragic accident happened around 7:55 pm on Tuesday, May 14, along Westside Parkway between Maxwell Road and Hembree Road.
A crash report said Somepalli lost control of the car, hit the median and then two trees, and landed upside-down.
Two of the teens who died, Anvi Sharma and Sriya Avasarala, were both freshmen at the University of Georgia. Aryan was a senior at Alpharetta High School. Their deaths had deeply affected the community in Alpharetta and the larger Atlanta community where they were well-known and loved.
Mohammed Liyakath, the fourth teen who survived the crash is a senior at Alpharetta High School.
Somepalli and Liyakath were taken to North Fulton Hospital with injuries. The crash caused the closure of Westside Parkway until around 2 a.m. the next morning.
This tragic event has highlighted the importance of road safety, especially among young drivers.
