‘No more time’: 2 Rome parents dead, multiple children injured after ATV accident in Alabama

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A community in Rome, Georgia, is reeling after a father and mother died and multiple children were injured in an ATV accident over the Labor Day weekend.

Family and friends identified the ones killed as Marcus Ragland and Ashley Hawkins, both from Rome.

Ragland, 34, was a father of 10. Hawkins was a mother of three, two of whom she shared with Ragland.

“This is just so hard to deal with it. It’s just so hard,” said Felecia Towers, Ragland’s mother. “I’m going to miss him. I loved him. I don’t know what else to say. He was a good boy. He was really fun to be around. He met no strangers. He was friends with everyone.”

Seven children, all siblings, were hurt in the accident, which happened Saturday at the Indian Mountain ATV Park in Piedmont, Alabama, near the Alabama-Georgia border.

According to the coroner’s office in Cherokee County, Alabama, an ATV with two adults and seven children was traveling at a high rate of speed when it collided with a second ATV.

The ATV with nine passengers traveled 150 feet, rolled over and hit a tree. Officials said a man in the ATV was pronounced dead at the scene and a woman was airlifted to the hospital, where she died.

Four of the children were airlifted to various hospitals, and the other three were transported by ground.

Family members said Ragland was driving the ATV and died after he was ejected in the crash.

Of the seven children who were hurt, one of the most severely injured is Ragland’s 13-year-old son, who has a skull fracture.

Ragland’s 10-year-old daughter has a broken collarbone. His 2-year-old daughter has spleen injuries.

According to a GoFundMe set up to help the family, six of Ragland’s children were hurt in the accident.

Ragland also has two more children on the way, according to the fundraiser.

No one in the second ATV was injured, according to the coroner’s office.

“Ever since I found out, I’ve been really sad,” said Makaylee McCary, Ragland’s daughter.

Blayze McCary, Ragland’s son, said they didn’t have much time with their father, but “now, we don’t have no more time with him, so it don’t feel good.”

Maya Boyett, a longtime friend of Ragland and Hawkins, said what happened is tragic.

“Both of them are gone. They are both two good people, good to their kids. And I really hate that they’re gone now,” said Boyett.

Ragland’s older sister, Lakeisha Floyd, said her brother lived his life to the fullest.

“And whatever he wanted to do, that’s what he did it. He said, ‘Life is for living,’ and that’s what he did,” said Floyd.

Floyd said Hawkins was “a very sweet soul.”

“Like always was really, really sweet. I’ve never seen her in a bad mood – like, always smiling,” Floyd said.

Alabama state Sen. Andrew Jones said there are virtually no regulations at the ATV park.

Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency Director Shawn Rogers said that “information being provided is that no one was wearing a harness or restraint.”

“There’s nothing that says that everybody that gets in a side-by-side has to be restrained. That’s one of those things that personal responsibility has to be taken to ensure your own safety and the safety of those that’s in your care,” said Rogers. “But you know, the fact of the matter is, it happened. We go back and we look at how we can correct that in the future, how we can educate the public, how we can advocate for things to become more safe than they already are, and how we can improve our emergency response and emergency services there.”

Loved ones are promising that Ragland and Hawkins won’t be forgotten.

“I’ll always make sure that they know Marcus, say, ‘Your daddy was that dude,’ you know what I’m saying? Always, for sure. I’ll always speak his name, especially around his kids, and let them know they had a good daddy, and I’ll do the same for her kids,” said Boyett.

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.