ATV accident: Injured child's mother recounts events

A family from Rome is facing a tragic loss following a fatal ATV accident in Cherokee County, Alabama, that claimed the lives of two parents and left seven children hospitalized. Marcus Ragland, a 34-year-old father of 10, was identified as one of the victims, along with his girlfriend who was the mother of two of his children. The incident occurred at Indian Mountain ATV Park where Ragland had picked up his girlfriend's 1-year-old and 5-year-old for the holiday weekend. Sadly, Ragland's family confirmed he was the driver of the ATV which collided with another vehicle, resulting in the overturning of the ATV and a collision with a tree. The passengers were not wearing seat belts, as required by the park rules. Emergency crews airlifted the woman passenger and three children to a hospital in Birmingham, while four others were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Rome. Although Ragland's girlfriend passed away, all seven children survived, with some already discharged from the hospital. The family has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to support the surviving children and their caregivers. Cherokee County officials stated none of the passengers was wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, a violation of the park's safety regulations. The park has not yet responded to inquiries about enforcement of these rules.