8 Family Members Among Those Killed In Fiery Crash On Georgia's I-85: Reports

ATHENS, GA — The eight family members who died Monday in a fiery multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 85 in Jackson County have been identified, according to multiple reports.

The crash happened around 4:15 p.m. on I-85 northbound, south of mile marker 147 in Commerce, the Georgia State Patrol said.

Police said a semi-trailer was following too closely and struck the rear of a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan. This caused a chain reaction involving the van and four additional vehicles. Following the crash, both the Dodge van and the tractor-trailer became engulfed in flames.

The Jackson County Coroner's Office confirmed that all eight people inside the van died in the crash.

Family members identified the victims. According to relatives, three adults and five children lost their lives in the crash.

Family members identified the deceased to WSB-TV's partner station, Univision, as well as Atlanta News First. Those killed were Kenia Ramirez and Darwin Ventura, along with their child, Kayle. Kenia was also pregnant, her family said.

Sonia Maribel Ramirez, Kenia’s mother, was also killed, along with her children Justin, Andy, Natali and Evan. The five children were between the ages of 2 and 16, according to their family.

Authorities have not officially identified the victims.

Eva Velasquez-Benitez told Atlanta News First that her son, Darwin Ventura, had been driving the family to go shopping at the time of the crash.

“It’s terrible. I don’t know how I’m going to be without Darwin, because it’s my only family, I only have two children,” Velasquez-Benitez said. “I can’t believe it. I feel like I’m in a bad dream.”

A van being used by Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters was one of the other vehicles involved in the crash. That van’s driver was left with bruises and cuts to his head, according to CEO Samantha Shelton.

“In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee,” the Cumming, Georgia-based animal rescue group wrote on its Facebook page.

The group was taking 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont, and some of the cats fled after the crash, Shelton said. Two were still missing as of Tuesday, and one cat was hospitalized in critical care, Shelton said.

The truck driver who struck the van was identified as Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, from Gainesville, according to state authorities.

Hammock has been arrested and charged with eight counts of vehicular homicide (second degree), one count of feticide by vehicle (second degree), one count of following too closely, one count of no registration and one count of driver to exercise due care.

The National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Georgia State Patrol, has opened a safety investigation into this fatal crash.

The crash also remains under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.