A funeral procession for a 17-year-old who died of a suspected drug overdose was violently interrupted by a collision that killed a 12-year-old and critically injured his 6-year-old brother, according to authorities in Akron, Ohio. Two episodes of gunfire followed the crash.
The crash came Thursday afternoon as the procession, led by a marked police cruiser, made its way through the city. One of the drivers fled on foot, authorities said, and at least one shot was fired, injuring another person.
The boys were in the same car; one was thrown from the vehicle during the crash and the other partially ejected, authorities said. Their mother, who was driving, was not injured.
The shot rang out seconds later, and the male driver of another vehicle in the crash fled and has not been found, authorities said. It wasn't clear what caused the crash or who fired the shot and why.
Authorities said a third vehicle may also have been involved in the crash. A 19-year-old was injured in the gunfire, and investigators were trying to determine his role, if any, in the crash. His injuries were not life-threatening.
Some people in the vehicle driven by the woman had been hanging out of the windows as the car was driven erratically, witnesses said. Both cars were part of the funeral procession, authorities said.
“Horseplay” among some drivers in funeral processions in the city is not uncommon, Akron police Lt. Michael Miller said.
Tymar Allen, of Akron, was killed in the crash, while the injured 6-year-old remained hospitalized Friday. The younger child's name and details of his injuries have not been disclosed.
It wasn't clear whether the injured children or anyone else involved in the crash had ties to the 17-year-old for whom the procession was held.
A second shooting occurred minutes later within sight of the procession and crash, but authorities say the two shootings appear to be unrelated. More than a dozen shots were fired.
