DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Friends and family are mourning the death of a film stunt actor and martial artist who was killed along with two of his children in a crash on Halloween night.
Channel 2′s Tom Regan was on Highway 20 in DeKalb County where the crash happened after 11 p.m.
Taraja Ramsess, 41, along with his 13-year-old daughter Sundari and 1-month-old daughter Fugibo were killed when Ramsess car plowed into a tractor-trailer that had broken down on the left lane of the Wesley Chapel Road exit. His two other children were ejected, leaving his 10-year-old son in critical condition. His 3-year-old child was also hospitalized.
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Regan learned that Ramsess was a stuntman who performed in some big movies including “Black Panther” and several of the “Avengers” films.
Ramsess long-time friend and X3 Sports trainer Tony Tony Tucci said the loss is devastating.
“When I first heard about it, I broke down,” Tucci said. “I had to sit down.”
Tucci said Ramsess would often bring his children to martial arts class.
“He was always a family man. They would come and sit and watch him train, and they would jump in and start training to.” said Tucci.
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Tucci said Ramsess had been doing martial arts since he was a child and used his skills to work as a Hollywood stuntman.
“He was always sharing his experiences, happy and glad to be part of that community,” Tucci said. “During the screening of Black Panther, he couldn’t stop talking about it. He was so happy to be a part of it.”
Ramsess also worked in set dressing, stage direction, construction and videography.
His cousin, Pharaoh Hardee, said he loved film work, but his true passion was his family. He said the loss of a man who was like a brother to him is hard to take.
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“He was just like my brother. He had moved here from L.A. He’s been in countless movies, doing stunts,” Hardee said. “I’ve had close people and loved ones die, so I’m just thinking about the children.”
Tucci said his heart goes out to Ramsess’s family and that he will deeply miss his close friend and training partner.
“He was just an amazing person,” Tucci said. “We have a great loss to this world. It makes you reflect and gives you new perspective on everyone you need to call every day. Because you never know when you last words are going to be to someone.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.
Police said the crash is still under investigation.
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