Two adults died and seven children were injured in an all-terrain vehicle collision Saturday, August 30, at Indian Mountain ATV Park in Piedmont, Alabama, near the Georgia border. The accident occurred around 3:45 p.m. when a side-by-side ATV carrying nine people collided with another ATV at high speed.
According to the Cherokee County coroner’s office, Marcus Ragland, 34, of Rome, Georgia, was driving the overcrowded vehicle when it struck the second ATV. The impact sent Ragland’s vehicle 150 feet before it overturned and crashed into a tree. Ragland, a father of 10 children, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
Ashley Brooke Hawkins, 31, also of Rome, Georgia, was airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham where she later died from her injuries. Hawkins was the mother of three children, two of whom she shared with Ragland. The couple had been together for the Labor Day weekend trip to the ATV park.
Seven children, ranging in age from one to 12 years old, sustained various injuries in the crash. Four children were airlifted to trauma centers in Birmingham, while three others were transported by ambulance to Atrium Health Floyd in Rome, Georgia. Among the most severely injured was Ragland’s 13-year-old son, who suffered a skull fracture. His 10-year-old daughter sustained a broken collarbone, and his two-year-old daughter suffered spleen injuries.
Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver indicated that witnesses reported Ragland was operating the ATV at a high rate of speed when the collision occurred. The driver of the second ATV attempted to avoid the crash but was unsuccessful. The two occupants of the second vehicle were not injured and attempted to render aid following the accident.
Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency Director Shawn Rogers confirmed that none of the nine occupants in Ragland’s vehicle were wearing safety harnesses or restraints. Rogers emphasized that “personal responsibility has to be taken to ensure your own safety.”
The remote location of the crash presented challenges for first responders. ATV park staff had to escort emergency personnel to the accident site, though responders arrived within 18 minutes of being dispatched. Four medical helicopters were called to transport the most critically injured victims to Birmingham trauma centers.
Family members described Ragland as someone who lived life to the fullest and was friendly with everyone he met. His mother, Felecia Towers, expressed her grief over the loss, while his older sister, Lakeisha Floyd, noted that he believed life was for living. Hawkins was remembered as having a sweet disposition and always being in a positive mood.
Audrey Dunn, who has two children with Ragland and is pregnant with another, learned about the accident through social media. Her one-year-old and five-year-old children were among those injured in the crash. Dunn reported that her one-year-old was limping with facial scratches, while her other son suffered a gash on his head but was otherwise stable.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation with assistance from the coroner’s office. Toxicology results are pending to determine whether alcohol played a factor in the crash. Cherokee County has been dry since the Prohibition era, making alcohol possession illegal outside municipalities.
Indian Mountain ATV Park encompasses approximately 4,700 acres in the Appalachian Mountain range and describes itself as one of the largest private off-road parks in the South. The park has safety rules requiring seat belt and harness use, though enforcement appears challenging given the facility’s vast size.
County officials emphasized the importance of following manufacturer guidelines for recreational vehicles and not exceeding passenger capacity. Sheriff Shaver noted that having nine people, especially young children, in a side-by-side vehicle without safety harnesses was not recommended.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist the surviving children and their caregivers. Four of the seven injured children have since been discharged from hospitals, while three remain hospitalized in Birmingham. The fundraiser notes that Ragland had two additional children on the way.
Cherokee County Coroner Paul McDonald described the incident as a mass casualty event and emphasized the difficulty of scenes involving children. Multiple agencies responded to the emergency, including Spring Garden Fire, Floyd EMS, Piedmont Rescue, and Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency.
