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Two remaining teenagers are identified after three die in a stolen car crash

The martin county sheriff’s office on thursday released the two remaining names of the three people who died as a A stolen car plunged into the St. Lucie River this week.

WPTV learned about the bodies pulled out of the river Jerry Choisy, 19, and Geovany Alexis, 18, were identified Wednesday.

The vehicle they were riding in plunged into the water near the intersection of Southwest Kanner Highway and Southeast Cove Road early Tuesday morning.

Marin County Sheriff William Snyder said Tuesday that the body of a 17-year-old, later identified as Marcus Griffin of Lake Worth, was found in the submerged car shortly after the crash.

Two other people who were in the vehicle – Enrique Hernandez, 18, and a 16-year-old boy, both of Boynton Beach, were found alive after the accident. They were taken into custody but were later released. Snyder said the teens could face murder charges at some point and prosecutors have told them not to make any arrests yet.

Before the vehicle crashed, Snyder said his agency followed its procedures correctly to ensure the public’s safety.

“We try to avoid a chase and we do that by positioning our units so that the attacking vehicle doesn’t see them, so they go off from a distance and then we send an air unit, a helicopter, into the air, “which is exactly what we did,” Snyder said.

WATCH: Martin County Sheriff’s Office tracks down stolen vehicle

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office helicopter tracks the stolen vehicle before it crashes into the river

In a situation like this, Snyder said his agency relies heavily on its helicopter to track the vehicle.

“They have stabilizers on their cameras,” Snyder said. “You can track the vehicle. You see it on the video.”

He said the stolen vehicle was traveling west on Cove Road with triple digits and then turning right on Gaines Avenue east of Kanner Highway. There the deputies used stop sticks.

“Our units deployed the stop sticks and shortly thereafter the driver failed to make a left turn because he was going so fast and drove straight into the river,” Snyder said.

The sheriff said the car drove 11 miles in seven minutes, although it would normally take 25 minutes.

Snyder said it was all a shame.

“It’s a huge danger to the public,” Snyder said. “I don’t even know how to describe how dangerous this is.”

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