HOMERVILLE — A man and two children died Tuesday in a collision involving three vehicles on Highway 441 South.

Jim McLaine, his daughter Macy, and 2-year-old boy have died after the truck they were riding in was struck from behind by a semi truck at about 6 p.m.

According to an official with the Georgia State Patrol Waycross Post, McLaine was following a back hoe being driven by Brad Register, also of Homerville.

Register was transported to Clinch Memorial Hospital and was later transferred to South Georgia Medical Center. The 2-year-old is his youngest son. His other son was also in the truck and sustained minor injuries.

Preliminary reports said the two vehicles were headed north when a semi truck slammed into them from behind and pushed the vehicles into the ditch. GSP officials said the driver of the semi fled the scene into the woods nearby. At presstime, he was still at large, but officials know his identity.

Power south of Homerville was turned off at about 6:15 p.m., and traffic was halted as officials worked to clear the scene.

Nine people have died in Clinch County in fatal accidents this month. On Jan. 3, a 1995 Pontiac Firebird was traveling west towards Homerville on Highway 84 when it passed another vehicle and slammed into a 1995 Dodge Caravan headed east. Two Homerville residents who were in the Firebird died and four occupants of the van including two children died.