A Georgia truck driver is facing eight counts of vehicular homicide after tailgating in a semi-trailer on Interstate 85, resulting in a chain-reaction crash that killed eight people, the Georgia Department of Public Safety said Monday.
Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, was arrested following the 4 p.m. on I-85 northbound near Commerce, just south of mile marker 147. Georgia State Patrol in Athens responded to the six-vehicle pileup.
An investigation found that Hammock's semi collided into the rear of a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan, triggering a chain reaction involving four other vehicles. Both the van and tractor-trailer were engulfed in flames immediately after the crash.
Jackson County Deputy Coroner Jeff Rogers confirmed that eight passengers in the van died in the crash. The victims included three adults and five kids, with one adult possibly pregnant, pending an autopsy.
Hammock was charged with eight counts of vehicular homicide in the second degree, one count of feticide by vehicle in the 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, working with Georgia State Patrol, is investigating the crash.
The crash also affected an animal rescue transport traveling through the area. Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters reported on Facebook that its TransFur van was involved in the pileup while transporting cats to rescue partners in Vermont.
Rescue workers recovered 35 of 37 missing cats, but two cats named Birch and Strawberry Shortcake are missing. The organization said teams were actively searching and setting up live traps.
One kitten, Morticia, is hospitalized at the University of Georgia with pulmonary contusions and required oxygen.
"The Furkids team is devastated by this news, yet even in the face of heartbreak, our commitment to saving lives has only grown stronger," the organization said.
They also mentioned they’re now seeking donations to replace the destroyed van, which helps save hundreds of animals annually, along with damaged cages and resources. The group also faces hospitalization costs and search-related expenses. As of Wednesday afternoon $25,000 had been raised on Facebook.