A Raleigh mother and her four young children were killed in a fiery crash on Interstate 95 in coastal Georgia early Sunday morning, according to state police.

Georgia State Patrol identified the victims as 27-year-old Reagan Dougan and her children, ages 9, 7, 4, and 3 months. The family was driving from North Carolina to meet Reagan’s husband in Florida when the crash occurred around 6 a.m. in McIntosh County.

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According to Trooper Christopher Ashdown with Georgia State Patrol, a witness reported seeing a Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling at a high rate of speed shortly before seeing an explosion.

“There was an SUV observed from a witness traveling at a high rate of speed,” Ashdown said. “Shortly after that vehicle was seen by the witness, she seen an explosion.”

Ashdown said the SUV rear-ended a white sedan in the right southbound lane of I-95. After the impact, the Jeep crossed all three lanes of traffic, hit a guardrail, and burst into flames. The vehicle was fully engulfed when troopers arrived on scene. Everyone inside was killed.

The driver of the sedan survived and was taken to a hospital. Their condition has not been released.

Reagan Dougan had rented the SUV in Raleigh and was making the trip south with her children to reunite with her husband, Christian Dougan, a veteran who has since been notified of the crash.

Neighbors in the family’s quiet Raleigh cul-de-sac said the Dougans had just moved into the neighborhood earlier this year, but quickly became a beloved part of the community.

Jason Flores, who lives next door, said he often saw the children playing outside and had bonded with Christian over their shared military background.

“We always waved at each other,” Flores said. “She always had a smile on her face and the kids were always happy. Their food always smelled good when they cooked it. We didn’t get to spend much time together, but it’s hard to imagine—they were here one day, gone the next. Tragic. Life is short.”

Flores said Reagan seemed like the kind of mom who always had her children close by.

“She always had her kids in her hands—kind of a soccer mom. Get in the car, go pick up the kids from school or daycare,” he said. “They were very family-oriented from what I could tell.”

The children, who neighbors described as “rough and tumble” and full of energy, were often seen climbing trees and playing in the yard.

“I was really looking forward to them being here for the year,” Flores said. “They were great neighbors.”

Photos recently shared by Reagan on Facebook show the family smiling and spending time together. She and Christian were married in April 2021.

A GoFundMe campaign to support the family has raised nearly $40,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re part of the brotherhood—former military,” Flores said. “If there’s anything I can do for him, the family, the dogs, the house… I’m right here next door.”

The crash remains under investigation by Georgia State Patrol.