Truck driver in I-85 crash that killed 8 people released on bond

by Atlanta First News staff

Editor’s note: The video above is from previous coverage.

JEFFERSON, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The driver in a deadly crash that claimed the lives of eight people on I-85 was released on bond, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Kane Hammock, 33, was released on a $83,000 bond on Thursday.

Hammock is facing a slew of charges in connection to the Monday crash. Those charges include eight counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, second-degree vehicular feticide, following too closely, distracted driving and operating a vehicle without a current plate.

The family was killed when a tractor-trailer struck their van, and it burst into flames, according to law enforcement. Hammock was identified as the driver of the semitrailer.

Seven of the people in the van were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Georgia State Patrol. The eighth body was discovered later where the crash happened, officials said.

Photos of the I-85 crash victims provided by their families. (Family photos)

Family members identified those killed as Kenia Ramirez and Darwin Ventura, along with their child Kayle. They had another baby on the way. Sonia Maribel Ramirez, Kenia’s mother, was also killed, along with her children Justin, Andy, Natali and Evan. Authorities have not officially identified the victims.

The crash is still under investigation.