ATLANTA (RTWNews) — A devastating highway crash in Georgia has led to the discovery of an eighth body, following a tragic collision involving a semitrailer and a van, reported Deputy Jackson County Coroner Dean Stringer on Tuesday.
The deadly incident occurred Monday afternoon on Interstate 85, about 62 miles northeast of Atlanta, when a semitrailer rear-ended a Dodge van, igniting a fire.
Authorities indicated that the semitrailer was tailgating the van, which resulted in the catastrophic crash. Following the initial collision, four additional vehicles were involved in what officials described as a chain reaction.
One of the other vehicles caught in the wreckage included a van operated by Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters. The driver of that van sustained minor injuries, according to the organization's CEO, Samantha Shelton.
In the chaos of the wreck, cages were crushed, causing several cats to escape, stated the animal rescue group on their Facebook page, noting that they were transporting 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont. As of Tuesday, two cats remained missing, and one cat was hospitalized in critical condition.
The identities of the victims have yet to be released as authorities work to confirm the occupants of the vehicles involved. Initially, seven individuals from the van were reported dead at the scene, with the eighth body discovered shortly thereafter.
The Georgia State Patrol's Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is currently conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
