Ban “the peers” and “the pack” from your kid’s car,
and he’ll be more likely to survive.
I did instruct my kids that they were not to carry more than one passenger. I think there is (IIRC) a Georgia law to the same effect for 16-17 year olds.
But this could well be a case of a bunch of boys thinking it was cool to disobey parents, sneak out after curfew, and go joyriding with a wild girl. Sort of case I would clip out of the newspaper and hand to my kids with the observation that things don't always work out the way you intend . . . .
Fortunately, my kids never got anything worse than a traffic ticket and a stern talking-to by the judge. But I do not tell them about some of my escapades . . . which fortunately never resulted in any injuries or damage to persons or property. But that was just good luck (and I was not a particularly wild kid).