There is nothing more tragic than losing a loved one. Death comes too fast to both the young and old, leaving family members and friends wishing for just a little more time with those who have passed away. For many, participating in a funeral or other burial service gives closure to the painful events of loss.
A family participating in a vehicle funeral procession for a loved one suffered an even deeper loss when one of the cars participating in the procession was involved in a car accident. Two cars, including one in the procession, collided at approximately 12:30 in the afternoon on South Vincennes Avenue and left one man dead. Seven other people, including two children, were injured in the crash and several suffered serious injuries.
Though funeral processions are not an uncommon occurrence on local roads, some drivers may not be aware of how to operate their vehicles when a procession is passing through. While law enforcement officials sometimes proceed and follow processions and stop traffic on cross streets so that the procession does not have to wait, some drivers may not understand the importance of practicing patience while the mourners travel to their destination.
Law enforcement officers closed the stretch of South Vincennes Avenue at the intersection of the accident to perform their investigation, which may yield more information on how the procession was hit. While this family learns to deal with the loss of the original decedent, it must also work through the tragedy of another fatal incident. While they may find support in each other during this trying time, they may have legal rights to compensation for their losses from the car accident.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “1 dead, 7 injured in accident involving funeral procession in Morgan Park,” Carlos Sadovi, August 6, 2013
