Eight members of the same family, including five children, were killed in a devastating highway collision in Georgia, and a semitruck driver has been caught and charged.
According to state police, the driver, Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, rear-ended a van that was moving forward on Interstate 85 in Jackson County, causing the collision. One vehicle caught fire as a result of the impact’s force, which set off a chain reaction affecting many others. At the scene, all eight of the van’s occupants were declared dead.
Eight counts of second-degree vehicular homicide and one act of feticide by automobile are among the numerous charges against Hammock. Other charges include operating without the required registration, failing to use sufficient care, and following too closely. Until an autopsy confirms it, authorities speculate that one of the deceased may have been pregnant.
A van belonging to Furkids Animal Rescue, which was transporting 37 cats, was also involved in the collision. Several animals were hurt, and its driver was hurt. In the midst of the chaotic scene, rescue crews labored to remove animals from the ruins.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Georgia State Patrol have opened a thorough investigation into the collision. While crews removed the wreckage and inspected the wreck site, traffic was rerouted for hours along the section of I-85 close to Commerce.