A tight-knit Hispanic family in Georgia is mourning the devastating loss of eight members, including two young children and an expectant mother, following a horrific multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 85 northbound near Commerce Monday afternoon.
According to the Jackson County Coroner’s Office, all eight victims were traveling in a Dodge minivan when it was rear-ended by a tanker semi-truck reportedly following too closely. The force of the collision caused the minivan to burst into flames, trapping everyone inside.
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The victims have been identified as: Maribel Ramirez, 42; Justin Ramirez, 16; Andy Ramirez, 14; Natali Ramirez, 11; Evan Ramirez, 3; Kenia Ramirez, 22; Darwin Ventura, 23—who was three months pregnant—and Kayle Ventura, 4.
Authorities have arrested Kane Hammock, the driver of the tanker truck, who faces charges including eight counts of vehicular homicide, vehicular feticide, distracted driving, and following too closely.
“This is one of the most tragic traffic incidents we’ve seen in recent memory,” a Georgia State Trooper said. “An entire family lost their lives in an instant.”
The Georgia State Patrol’s Collision Reconstruction Team continues to investigate the crash, which shut down I-85 northbound for several hours Monday evening.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the local community, with family, friends, and neighbors struggling to come to terms with the loss of so many loved ones in a single, catastrophic moment.