When attending a funeral, one typically does not expect to get into a car accident. Though the funeral procession by which the family and loved ones of a deceased wind their way to the cemetery where their loved one will be laid to rest can hold potential for a car accident, there are several Georgia laws in place in order to assist grieving friends and family in this endeavor. One of these laws states that vehicles must yield to a funeral procession.
One driver apparently forgot this particular law when she struck a car that was in a marked funeral procession on May 26 around 10:45 a.m. The 2011 Kia driven by a Georgia woman crashed into a 2001 Chevrolet Lumina that was in the middle of the funeral procession. According to authorities, the Kia driver said that she had a green light, so she accelerated. Unfortunately, the Lumina was part of the way through the intersection at the time, and the Kia struck the side of the procession vehicle.
Three passengers in total were treated at the hospital for this accident, including the Kia driver’s 9-year-old passenger. They were subsequently released. The Kia driver was charged with failure to yield to a funeral procession.
Instead of being able to give her last respects to her loved one, because of the negligence of a driver who allegedly entered an intersection right after failing to see a marked funeral procession, she had to spend this time in a hospital. One would hope that in the future the woman and other Georgia motorists will understand that funeral processions may be rare, but that the law requires them to yield to those in the vehicle procession. Those that don’t and cause an accident may encounter more legal problems than simply responding to a traffic violation charge.
Source: Moultrie Observer, “Motorists strikes car in funeral procession,” Daniel Clinton, May 29, 2012