ROME, Ga. — Authorities in Cherokee County, Alabama, have confirmed Monday the identities of those involved in a deadly ATV accident. The crash happened just west of the Georgia/Alabama state line on Sunday.
Authorities say two adults died and seven children were injured in a crash at Indian Mountain ATV Park.
Coroner Paul McDonald said the driver was Marcus Ragland, age 34, of Rome, Georgia, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The female passenger has been identified as Ashley Brooke Hawkins, age 31, also of Rome, Georgia. Hawkins was taken from the scene and later pronounced dead at UAB Hospital in Birmingham.
Four of those children were flown to the Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia.
The other three were flown to a Birmingham hospital.
In Rome, family friend Monica Watkins, spoke to Channel 2’s Brittany Kleinpeter from outside the children’s hospital rooms.
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“They keep asking for momma, and I don’t want to say because we haven’t told them about her yet,” Watkins told said.
Watkins also identified one of the victims as Ashley Hawkins. She says she has lived with Hawkins for four years and helps her raise her children.
“I have to be strong for these babies because I’m going to have to play the mother role. I can never replace their mom, but I’m going to have to feel like mom,” Watkins said.
Watkins identified the other adult victim who died as Marcus Ragland, whom she says was the father of two of Hawkins’ children.
She says Ragland was the father of 10 and had two other children on the way.
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“I want the community to pray for us, but also pray for the other children,” Watkins said.
Watkins says the three children in Birmingham suffered broken bones and bruises but are expected to be okay and should be released by Monday or Tuesday.
She says the 12-month-old who was involved in the accident is being treated in Rome and that he and the other three children suffered from various types of bruising.
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