10:00 P.M. TUESDAY UPDATE:
A Gainesville truck driver has been charged with eight counts of vehicular homicide in the second degree following Monday’s traffic accident on I-85 in Jackson County that claimed the lives of eight people. Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, is also charged with feticide by vehicle (one of the victims was pregnant), distracted driving, following too closely, and operating a vehicle without a current license plate. Bond has been set at $93,000.
5:30 P.M. TUESDAY UPDATE:
An eighth person has now died as a result of that multi-vehicle accident on I-85 in Jackson County Monday afternoon. The Jackson County coroner confirmed that Tuesday afternoon. The names of those who were killed had still not been released at that time.
1:30 P.M. TUESDAY UPDATE:
One of the vehicles involved in that multi-vehicle, multi-fatality crash on I-85 in Jackson County Monday afternoon belonged to Cumming-based Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelter and was taking more than 30 cats to a shelter in Vermont.
“While transporting 37 cats to a partner shelter in Vermont, just 90 minutes after departure, our van was involved in a severe multi-car accident resulting in loss of life,” reads a posting on the organization’s Facebook page. “We are devastated for the families affected, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them.” The van’s driver was among the injured.
“In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee.” At the time of the posting, 32 cats had been accounted for and an attempt was underway to locate the other five.
At last report, the state patrol had not issued any updates on the accident.
EARLIER STORY. POSTED MONDAY NIGHT: 7 killed in accident on I-85 in Jackson Co.