Cherokee County teenager gets 20-year sentence for fatal accident

A young individual from Cherokee County has been given a 20-year sentence, with the initial 12 months behind bars, after admitting guilt in a fatal crash that caused the death of two individuals and serious injuries to two others. Oliver Luis Roman, 19, from Powder Springs, acknowledged his responsibility by pleading guilty to various charges including first-degree homicide by vehicle and reckless driving. Despite the prosecution recommending 20 years with 10 to be served in custody and the defense requesting probation, Chief Superior Court Judge David L. Cannon Jr. decided on a 20-year sentence, with the first year in the Cherokee County adult detention center. This sentence also includes community service, restitution payment, license surrender, and a prohibition on contact with the victims and their families. The tragic single-vehicle accident occurred on Towne Lake Parkway near Towne Lake Hills East on January 9, 2024, leading to the deaths of Esteban Cortez-Rendon, 18, of Woodstock, and Gabriel Escandon, 17, of Marietta, and causing serious injuries to Christopher Martins Peixoto, 17, of Marietta, and Alejandro Trejo, 18, a visitor from Oklahoma. Roman's car was speeding at 93 mph just before the crash, as indicated by crash data and witness reports of reckless driving behavior.