‘Avengers’ stuntman and three of his children killed in fatal car accident
A stuntman who worked on Marvel's Black Panther has died in a car crash along with three of his children.
Taraja Ramsess, who also worked on a number of the Avengers movies, was driving on Highway 20 in DeKalb County, Georgia when the incident took place on 31 October.
He was in the car with his four children, including a 13-year-old, a 10-year-old, a three-year-old and a one-month old.
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Ramsess' teenager daughter, Sundari, and her 1-month-old sister, Fugibo, lost their lives along with their dad when the car struck a broken-down tractor-trailer on the left lane of the Wesley Chapel Road exit.
The 10-year-old boy was left in critical condition as a result and passed away a few days after the crash on 4 November.
Ramsess' three-year-old child was also hospitalized.
Tony Tucci, Ramsess' long-time friend and X3 Sports trainer, said the loss is devastating.
“When I first heard about it, I broke down,” Tucci told WSB-TV. “I had to sit down.”
He described Ramsess as an 'amazing person' and a 'family man', adding that he would often bring his children to his martial arts class.
“They would come and sit and watch him train, and they would jump in and start training too,” Tucci said.
Ramsess had been doing martial arts since he was a child, and used his skills to better his work as a stunt man.
“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.”
“We have a great loss to this world," he went on. "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.”
Ramsess' cousin, Pharaoh Hardee, said it had felt like he had lost a brother after hearing of the stuntman's death.
"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.”
Ramsess' family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of funerals for Ramsess and his three children.
"We are not sure what her immediate needs are, but we know there will be many," the page says.
Police have said the crash is still under investigation.
Topics: US News, Marvel, Avengers, Film and TV
Emily Brown