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A man has been indicted on several charges of vehicular homicide after officials reported that he drove his semitruck too closely behind a van, resulting in a devastating, multi-vehicle accident on a Georgia highway that claimed the lives of eight family members, including five children.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, is facing eight counts of vehicular homicide in the second degree and one count of feticide by vehicle in the second degree, as reported by The Associated Press.
He is additionally charged with following too closely, lacking registration, and failing to exercise proper care on Interstate 85 in Jackson County, roughly 62 miles northeast of Atlanta.
The split image shows the collision site on Interstate 85 in Jackson County, Georgia, where a semitruck hit a van, resulting in eight fatalities, alongside a booking photo of Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, who is accused of vehicular homicide and feticide, according to officials. (WAGA/Fox Atlanta / Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
The crash occurred around 4:10 p.m. Monday along the northbound lanes of I-85, just south of mile marker 147 near Commerce.
Authorities said the semitruck struck the back of a Dodge Grand Caravan, sparking a “chain reaction” involving four additional vehicles.
Fox 5 Atlanta reported that the van erupted in flames after being struck, and all seven occupants were declared dead at the location. An eighth victim was subsequently discovered at the accident scene.
A vehicle wreckage is visible near a semitruck following a catastrophic crash on Interstate 85 in Jackson County, Georgia, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, officials stated. (WAGA/Fox Atlanta)
The victims’ identities have not been officially released, but relatives identified the deceased as Kenia Ramirez and Darwin Ventura, along with their child, Kayle. The couple reportedly had another baby on the way.
Sonia Maribel Ramirez, Kenia’s mother, was also killed, along with her children Justin, Andy, Natali and Evan. The five children were between 2 and 16 years old, relatives told Atlanta News First.
Holly Bennett, with Jackson County Animal Control, rescues a cat from a crash involving a semi-truck and a van used by Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters on an interstate in Jackson County, Georgia, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (Tina Walden via AP)
One of the victims may have been pregnant, pending confirmation from an autopsy, officials said.
A van operated by Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters, carrying 37 cats, was also involved in the collision. The shelter said its driver and several animals were injured, and five cats remain missing.
