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A man has been charged with multiple counts of vehicular homicide after authorities said he drove his semi truck too close behind a van, triggering a fiery, multi-vehicle crash on a Georgia highway that killed eight people from the same family, including five children.
Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, faces eight counts of vehicular homicide in the second degree and one count of feticide by vehicle in the second degree, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, cited by The Associated Press.
He has also been charged with following too closely, no registration and failure to exercise due care on Interstate 85 in Jackson County, about 62 miles northeast of Atlanta.
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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 semi-truck struck the back of a Dodge Grand Caravan, sparking a “chain reaction” involving four additional vehicles.
The van caught fire after impact, and all seven people inside were pronounced dead at the scene, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. An eighth victim was later found at the crash site.
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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.
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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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