A truck driver has been charged with homicide after a horrific six-vehicle collision left eight family members dead, including a pregnant mom and five children.
Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, is facing eight counts of vehicular homicide in the second degree and one count of feticide by a vehicle in the second degree.
He has also been charged with following too closely, operating a vehicle without a current plate and distracted driving, Fox 5 reports.
Authorities have said the tractor-trailer Hammock was driving struck the back of a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan on Interstate 85 in Jackson County – about 62 miles northeast of Atlanta – sparking a ‘chain reaction’ involving four other vehicles at around 4.10pm on Monday.
The impact of the collision caused the Dodge van to burst into flames, and all seven people inside the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.
An eighth victim was later also found at the crash site, as all northbound lanes were shut down on the interstate.
Police have not yet released the names of the victims, but relatives identified those killed to WCNC as Kenia Ramirez and Darwin Ventura, along with their child, Kayle.
Ramirez was three months pregnant at the time of the collision, Ventura’s mother noted. Sonia Maribel Ramirez, Kenia’s mother, was also killed in the fiery crash, along with her children, Justin, Andy, Natali and Evan.
Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, has been charged with homicide in a fiery six-vehicle collision that killed eight family members on Monday
Authorities say Hammock struck the back of a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan on Interstate 85 in Jackson County – about 62 miles northeast of Atlanta – sparking a ‘chain reaction’ involving four other vehicles at around 4.10pm on Monday
The children were between the ages of two and 16 years old, according to Atlanta News First.
‘It’s hard because we don’t know what to do,’ Eva Velasquez-Benitez, Ventura’s mother, told WSB-TV. ‘We are in shock still.’
She noted that Ramirez was about to find out the sex of her child, and recounted how her son had been planning for the future.
‘He’s going to have another baby, and then he tells [me], “Mommy, we’re going to buy a house and you can come live with us,”‘ Velasquez-Benitez said.
Family members have created an online fundraiser to help raise money for the funeral expenses.
‘We are devastated,’ the fundraising page reads, according to WCNC.
‘In these moments, there are truly no words to describe the pain that comes from the unexpected loss of our loved ones,’ it continues. ‘We think not only about the memories made, but those that were yet to come.
‘What gives us consolation is that they are all now rejoicing in God’s loving arms and at peace.’
Relatives have identified the deceased as Kenia Ramirez and Darwin Ventura, along with their child, Kayle. Ramirez was also three months pregnant at the time
Sonia Maribel Ramirez was killed in the fiery crash, along with her children, Justin, Andy, Natali and Evan (pictured)
A van operated by Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters, carrying 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont, was also involved in the crash – which occurred just an hour and a half into the trip.
‘I was thrown to the back and I was trapped in between the kennels and the cargo door,’ volunteer Michael Rullan told 11 Alive of the impact of the collision.
‘People instantly lost their lives and they were right there, and it’s – that’s a hard one,’ he added.
Rullan was left with bruises and cuts to his head as cats fled the vehicle, according to CEO Samantha Shelton.
‘In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee,’ the Cumming, Georgia-based animal rescue group explained on its Facebook page.
‘We are conducting triage on all of the cats involved to determine the extent of their injuries and needed medical care,’ the post continued. ‘We are doing everything possible to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both our staff and the animals in our care.
‘We ask for your thoughts and prayers for those impacted, the families affected and for the safe recovery of our missing cats,’ the shelter wrote, adding: ‘This is a tragic day and our thoughts are with all who are grieving.’
As of Tuesday, two cats remained missing and one was hospitalized in critical care.
A van operated by Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters, carrying 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont, was also involved in the crash
The impact of the collision crushed some cages, and several cats escaped
Hammock was arrested at the scene and was booked into the Jackson County Jail, with his bond set at $93,000, according to Fox 5.
The crash is being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol´s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team, Young said. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the crash.
