PHENIX CITY, Ala. – Authorities have identified three adults and two children who were killed Monday in a head-on collision between their car and a semitrailer on an eastern Alabama highway.

The victims include 32-year-old Carrie Jones and her two children Trinity Jones, 7, and Jackson Jones, 4, according to Russell County Coroner Arthur Sumbry Jr. Also killed were 58-year-old twin sisters Judy Madere and Trudy Herbert. All of the victims are from Albany, Louisiana, Sumbry said.

There were no survivors in their vehicle, a Nissan Rogue, which collided with the semi on U.S. 80 outside Phenix City, Alabama, on Monday, authorities said. Officials believe all the passengers in the Rogue were killed instantly, Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor told The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (http://bit.ly/29J8QzO ). The semi driver was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive.

Taylor said the accident left first responders, “pretty shook up.”

“You can certainly do this job for a long time and you’re always going to see serious situations like this, but they’re never easy to deal with,” Taylor said. “They are going to be dealing with this one for a long time.”

Carrie Patrick, who lives along the highway, tells the newspaper that passing motorists had stopped and were climbing atop the mangled car in a desperate attempt to reach the victims.

Matthew Popiel, who resides on U.S. 80, told the paper he was sitting on his porch talking on the phone when he witnessed a collision. He said he instantly dropped his phone and rushed to help.

“I tried my best to help get the kids out,” said Popiel, who described the incident as an unforgettable wreck that no one should ever have to witness. “I tried my best but wasn’t able to. It’s impossible to try to get people out of a damaged car like that without having the proper tools.”

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Information from: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, http://ledger-enquirer.com