A semi-trailer driver faces murder charges after rear-ending a van on I-85 Monday, killing eight people, including five children, when the van burst into flames in Jackson County.
What’s Happening: Georgia State Patrol arrested Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, of Gainesville, and charged him with eight counts of vehicular homicide. Investigators say he was following too closely when his semi hit the back of a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan around 4:11 p.m.
- The crash caused a chain reaction involving six vehicles total.
- Both the van and semi caught fire after impact.
The Victims: All eight people in the van died at the scene. The Jackson County Deputy Coroner confirmed three were adults and five were children. One adult may have been pregnant, but officials won’t confirm until after an autopsy. Authorities have not released any names yet.
The Charges: Beyond the eight vehicular homicide counts, Hammock faces one count of feticide by vehicle, following too closely, no registration, and failure to exercise due care.
The Big Picture: The National Transportation Safety Board has opened a safety investigation into the crash, which signals federal authorities see something significant enough to warrant their involvement.
The NTSB typically investigates crashes that could reveal broader safety issues or lead to new regulations.
The Sources: Georgia Department of Public Safety, Jeff Rogers (Jackson County Deputy Coroner), Georgia State Patrol.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
