A family in Georgia is reeling after the unexpected deaths of two parents. Marcus Ragland and Ashley Hawkins took seven of their combined 11 children for a ride at an ATV park over Labor Day weekend. They had no idea that the children would be injured and that they themselves would lose their lives in a tragic accident. The children are recovering from their injuries while also mourning the loss of their parents. All of the families involved now must help the children navigate their grief because of something that could have been avoided.
Two ATV vehicles collided at Indian Mountain ATV Park in Piedmont on August 30, 2025, a news release from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office noted. After the collision, the larger of the two vehicles overturned, striking a tree. The two vehicles contained 11 people: nine in one, two in the other. Although the nine people riding together were all either killed or injured, the two people in the other ATV were uninjured. The children involved ranged in age from 1 to 12.
One victim, who was later identified as 34-year-old Marcus Ragland, died at the scene. “Four medical helicopters were requested to transport one adult female and three children to trauma centers in Birmingham,” the release stated. Four children were taken to the hospital by ambulance. The adult woman, later identified as 31-year-old Ashley Hawkins, died from her injuries at the hospital.
“This is a tragic accident and highlights the importance of operating RZRs and other recreational vehicles in a safe and responsible manner,” Sheriff Jeff Shaver shared in a statement. Coroner Paul 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.”
Audrey Dunn, who shares a 5-year-old and 1-year-old with Ragland, is pregnant with his child. Her two children were involved in the crash. “I get on Facebook and that’s when I see that he had passed,” she told Fox 5 Atlanta. “And I couldn’t find my kids, because they were in the accident.”
“My 1-year-old is limping, and his face is scratched up pretty bad, [my other son] has a gash on the top of his head, but he’s okay, so thank God the babies are okay,” she said.
Marcus Ragland was a father to 10, two of whom he shared with Hawkins. She also had another child.
“This is just so hard to deal with. It’s just so hard,” Ragland’s mother, Felecia Towers, told WANF. “I’m going to miss him. I loved him. I don’t know what else to say. He was a good boy — he was really fun to be around. He was friends with everyone.”
One of Ragland’s daughters, Makaylee McCary, also spoke with the news outlet, saying, “Ever since I found out, I’ve been really sad.”
“Both of them are gone. They are both two good people, good to their kids. And I really hate that they’re gone now,” Maya Boyett, a friend of both Ragland and Hawkins, told WANF.
A GoFundMe account has been created for the children Marcus Ragland did not share with Hawkins. One of Hawkins’ relatives created a separate GoFundMe account for her children.
