41-year-old Taraja Ramsess tragically died on Halloween as he drove in Dekalb County, Georgia with four of his five children when he took an exit ramp and collided with a tractor-trailer that had broken down in the left lane.
The terrible car crash also claimed the lives of his 13-year-old daughter Sundari and newborn daughter Fugibo, which were killed on impact according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Taraja’s three-year-old Shazia and 10-year-old Kisasi headed to the hospital with severe injuries but were both expected to make a steady recovery.
According to The Mirror, Kisasi died of his injuries yesterday, while the funerals for his sisters and father were taking place.
As a stuntman, Taraja’s work is often meant to not be noticed by fans, but the star also had a few moments of fame in front of the camera as part of his role in the MCU, namely in Avengers: Endgame and the Black Panther series where he played fighters in the Wakandan army.
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Since the devastating accident, Taraja’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the funeral arrangements and to aid his surviving children.
The page recalled Taraja’s most important role, not in Hollywood but at home as a “dedicated father, son and husband and a true philanthropist”.
It highlighted that the stuntman “lived for his children” while his mother recalled his deep love for “martial arts, motorcycles and all things related to filmmaking”.
She gushed over his “wicked sense of humor” and recalled her “beautiful” granddaughter Sundari who was excitedly preparing to start high school next year.
According to a Facebook post by Taraja’s mother Akili, the actor and his children were laid to rest on Sunday in their home state of Atlanta.
Taraja’s work in film extended far beyond his physical contributions as a stunt, having also worked as a set dresser on dozens of projects including The Walking Dead, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Vampire Diaries.
He was remembered on social media through his entertainment industry pals, as filmmaker Ava DuVernay shared on Instagram: “He walked like a king. And to me, always acted like one. He was a part of our crew family at ARRAY. He left us last night forever in a way that makes the hearts of all who knew him break into a million pieces.”