A car accident on I-295 in Freeport last week cut short the life of a 21-year-old South Portland man who was getting his life back together after the birth of his daughter.

Dawaun Morgan was on his way back from a night of partying in Waterville with three friends last Thursday morning when their car slammed into a group of trees just before dawn.

Morgan and another man, Wilfred Omal, 25, of Portland died in the crash. The driver, Carlos Salgado, 18, and another passenger, Godwin Peter, 22, both of Portland, survived with bumps and bruises.

One nightspot they visited in Waterville was Champions, a popular fitness center that becomes a nightclub on Wednesday nights. Waterville police spoke to Morgan Omal after a screaming match outside the nightclub was reported to police, according to published reports. The two were seen leaving Champions in a car driven by a woman.

It was four hours later, around 5:30 a.m., that the car Morgan and Omal were passengers in hit the guardrail, skidded across two southbound lanes of I-295 in Freeport and slammed into a group of trees.

Trooper James McCarthy, who is heading up the State Police investigation, said it looks as though Salgado fell asleep at the wheel. It also appeared the three others were also asleep at the time of the accident.

Salgado does not have a driver’s license, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland. No charges have been filed. The final crash report will be forwarded to the Cumberland County District Attorney’s office when it is completed. Initial indications suggest the car was traveling above the 65 mph speed limit, and results from the blood alcohol tests from the driver and passengers will not be available for a couple of weeks.

Dawaun Morgan “loved people,” his mother Valerie Morgan said. “He couldn’t wait until he was 21 so he could go out.” It was only in December that he reached the legal drinking age of 21.

Valerie Morgan said the birth of her son’s 4-month-old daughter, Cerina, changed his life. “When he saw his baby daughter, he was like a whole different Dawaun,” she said.

“He had some rough times,” Morgan said, “but once his baby was born, he was going to get his life back together.”

At the end of the month, Dawaun Morgan planned to move to Utah, where his daughter’s mother is from, with his new family. His mother said he planned to go back to school and eventually join the Navy.

Valerie Morgan said the family moved to Maine from New Jersey when one of her sons had cancer. He died 11 years ago.

Dawaun Morgan leaves behind four brothers and one sister, all of which he was close to, according to his mother.

“He was a real big brother to them,” she said.

Morgan said her 7-year-old son, Amir, has been affected the most. “He kind of understands, but he hasn’t experienced death yet. You tell him Dawaun is dead, but he still thinks he’s coming back. So, he stands in the window a lot looking for him.”

Morgan said it is hard for her to bury another son, but her family is doing the best they can. “We’re trying to hold each other together,” she said.

“He’s going to keep the family strong like he always did,” she said of Dawaun.

Dawaun Morgan’s family from New Jersey is arriving during the next couple of days to attend the funeral, which will be held Saturday at Hay and Peabody Funeral Home in Portland.

Dawaun Morgan and his four-month-old daughter Cerina. “When he saw his baby daughter he was like a whole different Dawaun,” Valerie Morgan, Dawaun’s mother, said.