JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. — A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded Monday afternoon when eight members of the same Hispanic family, including a pregnant woman and four children, were killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 85 northbound in Jackson County. Authorities described the incident as one of the deadliest traffic crashes in Georgia’s recent history.
According to the Jackson County Coroner’s Office, the family was traveling together in a Dodge minivan when it was rear-ended by a tanker semi-truck that was reportedly following too closely. The devastating impact caused the van to burst into flames, trapping everyone inside before rescue crews could reach them. Emergency responders initially reported seven fatalities, but a further search of the wreckage revealed an eighth victim, who was also pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said the victims ranged in age from 3 years old to 42 years old.
The crash occurred shortly after 4:00 p.m. near mile marker 147, just south of Commerce, Georgia. The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) said the tanker’s impact triggered a chain reaction involving six vehicles, though the most catastrophic damage was confined to the family’s minivan. Witnesses described the horrifying scene, saying the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames within moments. “The fire spread so fast — there was nothing anyone could do,” one motorist said.
Family members later confirmed the victims as Maribel Ramirez, 42; Justin Ramirez, 16; Andy Ramirez, 14; Natali Ramirez, 11; Evan Ramirez, 3; Kenia Ramirez, 22; Darwin Ventura, 23; and 4-year-old Kayle Ventura. Authorities said Darwin Ventura was three months pregnant, and the unborn child was also killed in the crash. The family had been traveling together when the tanker truck struck them from behind. “An entire family lost their lives in an instant,” one state trooper said. “It’s beyond heartbreaking.”
The tanker driver, identified as Kane Hammock, has been arrested and charged with eight counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, second-degree vehicular feticide, following too closely, distracted driving, and operating a vehicle without a current plate. Investigators said Hammock failed to stop in time before hitting the van, sparking the deadly blaze. The crash forced authorities to close all northbound lanes of I-85 for several hours as firefighters and investigators worked through the mangled wreckage.
The Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash, including whether speed, distraction, or impairment played a role. Officials have not yet disclosed what the tanker was hauling at the time. Franka Young, spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said troopers are “working diligently to confirm all occupants through available records and forensic analysis.” Authorities are urging anyone with dashcam footage or eyewitness information to contact the GSP Post in Athens as the investigation remains ongoing.