Welcome to Arrest Stories. A devastating chain-reaction crash on Interstate eighty-five in Jackson County, Georgia has resulted in eight fatalities and the arrest of a truck driver charged with following too closely behind a family van that burst into flames upon impact.
Here's what may have happened.
On Monday, October thirteenth, two thousand twenty-five, at four eleven p.m., thirty-three-year-old Kane Aaron Hammock was operating a tractor-trailer south of mile marker one hundred forty-seven near Commerce on Interstate eighty-five northbound lanes. According to official reports, Hammock's semi-truck was following too closely behind a two thousand fourteen Dodge Grand Caravan when he struck the rear of the vehicle.
The collision was catastrophic. Officials stated, "After impact, the Dodge van became engulfed in flames along with the tractor-trailer." The crash triggered a chain reaction involving four additional vehicles, creating what one witness described as "carnage that covered the entire interstate."
Inside the van were eight family members - three adults and five children ranging in age from two to forty-two years old. All occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. One victim may have been pregnant, though officials noted "this will not be confirmed until an autopsy has been completed."
Adding to the tragedy, a separate vehicle involved was a Furkids Animal Rescue transport van carrying thirty-seven cats bound for Vermont. While the cats survived, the driver was injured and described the chaos: "In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee."
The impact forced closure of all northbound lanes for several hours, with traffic diverted to Exit one hundred forty. Hammock was arrested the same day and booked into Jackson County Jail. He faces eight counts of vehicular homicide, one count of feticide by vehicle, following too closely, no registration, and failure to exercise due care. His bond was set at ninety-three thousand dollars.
Officials expressed their condolences, stating "We are devastated for the families affected, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them."
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.