I-85 crash: 8 dead, multiple cats injured after semi-truck collision in Georgia
Eight people were killed in a fiery, six-vehicle pileup on Interstate 85 in Jackson County, Georgia, the Jackson County Coroner's Office confirmed to ABC News.
A semi-trailer chicken feed truck collided into the back of a Dodge Grand Caravan on Monday afternoon, causing a chain reaction that ensnared four other cars in the northbound lanes of I-85, just south of mile marker 147, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
The Dodge van caught on fire and all seven passengers, including three adults and five children, were pronounced dead at the scene. All the victims were family members, according to officials.
The coroner confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday that another individual in the pile-up was also pronounced dead, bringing the death toll to eight.
The driver allegedly responsible, Kane Hammock, 33, was taken into custody and charged with eight counts of vehicular homicide, feticide, following too closely, no registration and failure to exercise due care.
He is from Gainesville, GA, according to authorities.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in coordination with the Georgia State Patrol, has opened a safety investigation into this fatal crash.
Officials have not yet released the identities of those killed.
One of the vehicles in the crash was an animal transportation van that belonged to Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters, Georgia's largest no-kill animal shelter, according to their website.
The van was transporting 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont, and the driver, along with multiple cats, sustained injuries in the collision. Five cats are missing, according to their Facebook post.
"In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee," the organization said in the post. "We are conducting triage on all of the cats involved to determine the extent of their injuries and needed medical care."
"This is a tragic day, and our thoughts are with all who are grieving," the organization added.
The incident is being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team, as the collision closed all northbound lanes of I-85 in the area until almost 10 p.m.
"We do not have any updates at this time. This crash is still under investigation. Once we receive new information, we will provide you with an update," Georgia State Patrol spokesperson Franka Young told ABC News.
Jackson County is about 60 miles north of Atlanta.
