ATV crash kills 2 Georgia parents, injures 7 children in Alabama

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Al. - Two adults were killed and seven children were injured during an ATV crash Saturday afternoon in Cherokee County, Alabama, just across the Georgia state line near Floyd County.

What we know:

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said the crash happened around 3:47 p.m. central time at Indian Mountain ATV Park.

When first responders arrived 18 minutes later, they found two side-by-side RZRs had collided. One of the ATVs, carrying nine people, overturned after the crash and slammed into a tree. 

The other ATV had two passengers, and neither of them were injured in the crash, according to the sheriff's office. They tried to help the victims after the crash. 

Deputies said the driver of that ATV was ejected and died at the scene. An adult female passenger in the ATV was airlifted to a Birmingham hospital, where she later died.

The other passengers — all children — were injured in the crash. Three of them were flown to Birmingham hospitals. The other four children were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Rome.

Investigators said the children injured in the crash range in age from 1 to 12 years old.

On Monday, officials named the driver of the ATV who died on the scene as Marcus Raland, 34, of Rome. The corner's officer also identified the female passenger who died as Ashley Brooke Hawkins, 31, of Rome.

What they're saying:

At a press conference on Sunday, officials said past deaths and injuries have happened at the park where the crash happened. The children in the ATV were not wearing harnesses, according to the officials, who said there was no law requiring them to wear seat belts or for the park to make them wear seat belts. Officials said the side-by-side that the family rode in was not made to hold nine people. 

WATCH THE FULL ATV CRASH BRIEFING

Officials said they faced rough and rural terrain, as well as communications issues, while responding to the crash. 

Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver was asked if the park had rules and if they were required to enforce them.

"I can't quote the rules. I'm not sure if they knew what was going on," he said. "We have rules in our park, but we have people who think they can smoke marijuana and jump from one rock to the other."

Officials were asked if alcohol or drugs played any part in the crash; they said they were waiting on toxicology reports to discuss that. They did say that they believe the ATV that flipped was driving at a high rate of speed. 

The other side:

The park has several rules posted on their website, including stating that drivers and passengers must wear helmets and seat belts at all times while riding in the park. 

The website also said speed limits were 15 miles per hour unless otherwise noted. 

FOX 5 reached out to the park to ask about how they enforce these rules, but they haven't responded yet.

Dig deeper:

A GoFundMe set up for the family said Ragland was a father of 10, with two more children on the way. 

The fundraiser also said the woman killed was the mother of two of the children involved. Six of the injured children were Ragland’s, according to the page.

RELATED: Deadly ATV crash: Mother of child injured discusses what happened

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