Authorities have finally released details on a pair of crashes related to a Monday afternoon funeral procession.

Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, says that at approximately 2:44 p.m., Sgt. T.A. Smith responded to a crash at US 31 north of County Road 100 South. Deputy Andrew Densford, who was escorting a funeral procession of about 35 vehicles, reported seeing a car fail to observe a semi that was slowing for the procession. That vehicle struck the semitrailer and crossed the southbound lane of US 31. Authorities say the driver of the car sustained non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Columbus Regional Health. The driver of the semi was not injured.

Jackson says that Densford stayed to investigate the accident while Sgt. Smith took the lead in the funeral escort. After stopping traffic at US 31 and State Road 46, Smith continued to the intersection of US 31 and State Road 7. When traffic was stopped in all directions, the procession continued. Just prior to approaching the roundabout at US 31 and County Road 400 South, Sergeant Smith heard the dispatch of another crash – at the intersection of US 31 and State Road 7.

Witnesses stated that while the funeral procession was going through the intersection, a pickup truck failed to stop. A family member says that the pickup struck the driver’s side of a vehicle carrying two women, one of them the sister of the deceased. The driver was flown to an Indianapolis hospital via Lifeline. The sister of the deceased was taken to an Indianapolis hospital by ambulance. The family member says that both women suffered serious injuries, but are expected to survive.