5 Hurt When SUV Hits Funeral ProcessionFive people were injured when an SUV did not stop for a funeral procession and collided with a car on Saturday.
Sokun Seraypheap, 51, of East 8 Square Road, Warsaw, complained of pain to the head, chest and left hand and had minor bleeding to the head. Zari L. Silvestre, 21, Goshen, complained of pain to the left hand and both knees. Ruby Rangel, 20, Goshen, complained of pain to the upper arm. Virginia R. Romo, 18, Goshen, complained of chest pain and to an eye. Araceli Romo-Aguilar, 35, Goshen, complained of pain to the lower arm. All five were taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital for medical treatment.
According to a Warsaw Police Department crash report, the incident occurred at about 12:44 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of East U.S. 30 and North Parker Street, Warsaw.
Seraypheap was driving north in a silver 2004 Honda Pilot on North Parker Street approaching U.S. 30. She told officers she had a green light and proceeded through the intersection. She did not see a fully marked police car with its emergency lights activated in the intersection stopping traffic on North Parker Street. The Honda was hit on the passenger side by a black 2016 Chevrolet Cruze driven by Silvestre, who was traveling west on U.S. 30. The impact caused Seraypheap’s SUV to roll onto its top.
Silvestre told officers she was traveling in a funeral escort west on U.S. 30, approaching the intersection with North Parker Street. She said she had a red light but was told not to stop at red lights due to being in a funeral escort. She said she continued through the intersection and hit the passenger side of the SUV.
In his report, WPD officer Clayton N. Rieder indicates he was assisting in the funeral escort that was westbound on U.S. 30 from the North Parker Street location. He was in the fully marked police car with his emergency lights activiated, parked on the northwest side of the intersection, attempting to stop traffic on North Parker Street. He had been stopped at the intersection for a short time when he saw Seraypheap’s vehicle begin to travel north on North Parker Street across U.S. 30. Rieder exited his vehicle to attempt to stop the SUV because of the funeral escort, but Seraypheap did not see him and the collision occurred.
Rangel, Romo and Romo-Aguilar were all passengers in Silvestre’s car.
