Christian D. Johnson, 16, a Cherokee High School freshman, died Monday from injuries received in a single-car wreck Sunday morning.

On Wednesday, 14-year-old Jenna Ray of Paulding County was killed about 5 p.m. when the 16-year-old driver of a pickup lost control on a curve and wrecked in Bartow County. Less than three hours later, Jeremy Michael Railey, 16, a junior at Cherokee High, died in a crash that injured his passenger and the driver of another car.

The Cherokee High community reeled Thursday when it heard about the second death.

"Once [Christian's death] was sinking in, we got hit with a double whammy," said Principal Bill Sebring. "Some kids had to go home, they were too upset."

The state Legislature recently instituted restrictions on teen drivers. In 1999, the most recent year available, 47 16-year-old drivers died in car wrecks across Georgia, according to the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

Sheriff's deputies said Jeremy was driving his 1995 Mazda RX-7 on Cokers Chapel Road when the teen apparently lost control and crossed into the path of a 2001 Ford Explorer. Jeremy's passenger, Joseph Casey, 16, was moved out of critical care Thursday at North Fulton Regional Hospital. The driver of the Ford was treated for minor injuries.

Christian, who graduated from a wilderness camp for troubled youth earlier this year, drove through a stop sign about 4 a.m. Sunday at Upper Burris Road at Ga. 108 and ran into an embankment. A state trooper investigating the accident doesn't know whose car Christian was driving. Christian did not have a driver's license.

Walter Johnson, his father, said he did not know where Christian got the car, nor did he realize Christian had sneaked away until police arrived to tell him of the accident.

Christian never turned away a stray animal, said Johnson. He kept dogs in the back yard, and also at times had snakes, gerbils, rabbits, lizards and anything else he could catch.

"For a while I thought I had a pet shop," Johnson said.

Recently, Christian had been working part-time as a bagger at Ingles and seemed to be doing better in school, his family said.

Jeremy dreamed of going to law school and racing in LeMans, France.

Trey McCurry, 16, one of Jeremy's good friends, enjoyed skateboarding and playing basketball with him. This summer, Jeremy used money saved from odd jobs to buy his car.

Dozens of students met with counselors Thursday. But Adam Voss, 17, who took a technology class with Jeremy last year, said he didn't.

"I can handle it," he said, but added that he was in a wreck this summer and Jeremy's death scares him.

Counselors and teachers tried to quell fear Thursday. "Kids 15,16,17 are looking for answers," Sebring said. "We don't have the answer. We'd love to give them a reason."