A rear-end collision claimed the life of a 10-year-old Madison County boy and left a friend critically injured Friday.

Athens-Clarke County police say a tractor-trailer rear-ended the car in which Evan Escoe of Hull was riding, killing the child instantly. Ten-year-old Samuel Hart of Comer, who was sitting next to Evan in the rear seat, also was injured and flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite.

The mid-afternoon crash occurred on Highway 441 ( Commerce Road)  near Nature Center Road.

Trucker Thomas Land, 57, of North Carolina rear-ended the car Evan's mother, Elisha Hart, was driving when she slowed behind another car that was making a turn, police said. Elisha Hart and another son, Carter, did not receive life-threatening injuries, police say, and all of the vehicle's occupants  were wearing seat belts.

Athens-Clarke authorities on Saturday were still trying to determine the cause of the crash.

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Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com