A fatal accident recently occurred in Cincinnati when an individual driving a car interfered with a funeral procession. A retired police lieutenant was driving his motorcycle at the head of the procession, but he lost his life in the auto accident. The accident is still under investigation, and it is unknown at this time whether the driver of the car will face Ohio criminal charges.
On a sunny afternoon, the 63-year-old retired officer was leading a funeral procession on his motorcycle. Witnesses at the scene stated that the officer had his siren and lights active as he traveled down the road. However, another vehicle ran into him, causing him to suffer severe injuries. The emergency responders arrived at the scene and transported the 25-year police force veteran to the hospital, but he died from his injuries the next night.
The 30-year-old driver of the car that hit the victim is reportedly cooperating with police officers. The exact cause of the accident is still being investigated, but the authorities do not suspect that drugs, alcohol or excessive speeds were involved in the collision. There have been no criminal charges filed against the driver as of yet, but that could change, depending on the evidence uncovered during the investigation.
Family and friends attending the funeral procession were already suffering at the loss of their loved one, and now they will mourn the police officer as well. After spending some time grieving, those responsible for the retired Ohio officer’s estate may choose to take legal action in the form of a wrongful death suit against the driver of the car. If successful, the family could be awarded a monetary reimbursement for damages incurred from the auto accident that could include the officer’s own funeral costs.
Source: whio.com, “Ohio officer dies after funeral procession crash“, March 30, 2015