At least a dozen children lose parents after 'tragic' US car crash

PICTURED: Marcus Ragland and some of his children | GOFUNDME
None of the passengers of the vehicle were following safety recommendations or wearing restraints
Don't Miss
Most Read
Trending on GB News
At least a dozen children have lost parents after a tragic car accident in the US.
Father-of-10 Marcus Ragland and mother-of-three Ashley Hawkins died after the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) they were driving hit another vehicle in Alabama.
The ATV subsequently rolled roughly 150 feet and hit a tree in the rural area.
The couple, from Rome, Georgia, had travelled about 30 miles to go to the Indian Mountain ATV Park over the Labour Day weekend.
PICTURED: Marcus Ragland and some of his children aboard an ATV
|GOFUNDME
During the incident, which is understood to have taken place at around 4pm on Saturday, Mr Ragland was driving.
The 34-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, having been thrown from the vehicle.
All seven children who were in the vehicle, aged as young as one year old, also suffered injuries.
Four helicopters were used to take Ms Hawkins and three children to trauma centres in Birmingham, but the 31-year-old later died.
MORE TRAGIC ACCIDENTS:
The other four children were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Rome, Georgia.
Authorities said that none of those in the vehicle, a side-by-side RZR buggy, were wearing proper restraints or harnesses while in the vehicle.
Jennifer Fife, organising a fundraising campaign for Mr Ragland's family, said: "I don't know about y'all, but I make mistakes and some of those mistakes could have ended in tragedy.
"All these articles and people are under them judging... These two people paid the ultimate price and that wasn't enough for y'all?"
Jeff Shaver, the Cherokee County Sheriff, said Mr Ragland was driving the vehicle at a high speed when it collided with the other vehicle, whose driver tried to avoid the incident.
Mr Shaver said: "This is a tragic accident and highlights the importance of operating RZRs and other recreational vehicles in a safe and responsible manner."
The parents and their children were driving in a side-by-side RZR, thought to be similar to the one pictured above
|WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
He added: "I am sure that it is not recommended to have nine people, especially young children, in a RZR not using safety harnesses.
"There is nothing that says that everybody that gets in a side-by-side has to be restrained.
"That is 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."
According to the Cherokee County Coroner, Paul McDonald, nobody in the second vehicle was hurt.
Mr McDonald added: "Scenes like this are always difficult, especially when they involve children.
"Please do everything you can to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you."
The Sheriff's Office has said toxicology results are incoming to determine if alcohol played a part in the crash.
More From GB News