From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
GENEVA, Ala. — The Christmas day crash that took the lives of three 16-year-old Geneva High School cheerleaders and seriously injured one other was the result of excessive speed, a preliminary report released by the Geneva Police Department has revealed.
The crash killed Addyson Martin, Emilee Fain, Cassidy Dunn, and wounded two friends. One severely injured girl was rushed to a hospital in Birmingham by helicopter ambulance, and a fifth girl was not seriously injured.
The group had been together for Christmas at someone’s home and were headed elsewhere in small sport-utility vehicle. Per Geneva Police Lt. Michael McDuffie, the damage indicated that the vehicle, driven by Martin, was traveling at a high rate of speed when it left the road at the top of a hill and went into a wooden area off Westville Avenue.
The speed limit in the area was 25 MPH.
The vehicle’s roof had to be cut off to extricate the girls from the vehicle.
“The three that were deceased were in the front seat of the car,” Geneva County Coroner Donny Adkinson said.
Geneva, a town of about 4,400 people, is located near the Florida line more than 100 miles south of Montgomery.