Hearse Struck, 3 Hospitalized After Funeral Procession Crash

JOLIET, IL — Three people were taken to Joliet-area hospitals Wednesday afternoon after a car struck vehicles in a funeral procession along South Chicago Street, according to Joliet police.

The crash happened around 12:05 p.m., police said. The car was northbound on Route 53 (is South Chicago Street) from Mills Road when the driver lost control and swerved into the oncoming lanes, police said.

The driver tried "to re-enter the northbound lanes and then struck four separate vehicles that were participating in a funeral procession traveling southbound Route 53 approaching Mills Road," police said late Wednesday night.

The car that struck the other vehicles came to a rest near the lane markers separating northbound and southbound lanes. Additionally, the hearse leading the procession was struck by another car while trying to avoid a crash with the out-of-control car toward Doris Avenue, authorities said.

Two motorists involved with the funeral procession were taken to AMITA Health St. Joseph Medical Center, one with critical injuries, police said.

The driver of the car that went out of control was taken to Silver Cross with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. The driver was issued traffic citations, and the crash remains under investigation, police said.

Joliet resident Bob Hernandez learned of the wreck and was able to produce a Facebook Live video of the investigation into the crash.