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Stopping For Funerals Is Southern Tradition, But What Does The Law Say?
February 7, 2018
Stopping for a funeral procession is a Southern tradition, but what does Florida law say?
On Tuesday, a driver stopped for a funeral procession on Highway 29 near Cantonment was rear-ended by another driver that did not stop [Read more ...]. The driver that struck the stopped car was ticketed for careless driving, while the driver that did stop on Highway 29 for the funeral was cited for impeding traffic. The funeral was being escorted by an escort company operating a vehicle with amber and purple lights, as allowed by law.
Amy Holland of Bratt was in the funeral procession for her uncle Carl Caraway. The procession was traveling from Faith Chapel Funeral Home in Cantonment north on Highway 29 to Ray’s Chapel Cemetery on Bogia Road.
“The car landed literally one car length in from my vehicle,” Holland said. “That was one of the scariest moments of my life.”
Florida law states “You shall yield to the procession, now that being said it is customary — not law — to pull off to the side of the road and put your lights on. You cannot just stop in the travel lane and interfere with traffic. Statute does say that standing, stopping or parking is prohibited,” according to Lt. Eddie Elmore of the Florida Highway Patrol.
The law also states that drivers must yield right of way to a funeral, such as at an intersection.
“Regardless of any traffic control device or right-of-way provisions prescribed by state or local ordinance, pedestrians and operators of all vehicles…shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle which is part of a funeral procession being led by a funeral escort vehicle or a funeral lead vehicle,” according to Florida statute. “When the funeral lead vehicle lawfully enters an intersection, either by reason of a traffic control device or at the direction of law enforcement personnel, the remaining vehicles in the funeral procession may follow through the intersection regardless of any traffic control devices or right-of-way provisions prescribed by state or local law.” There are exceptions in the law regarding emergency vehicles and directions given by law enforcement.
“We … cannot stress enough if you are going to stop for a funeral procession, please safely pull off the road and put your hazards on. We are deeply saddened that this accident happened today as we were escorting this funeral,” said Lisa Odom of Odom Pilot Escort, which was operating the escort vehicle for Tuesday’s funeral. ” We are not allowed to run blue lights as we are not police officers; we do, however, have amber and purple lights on all of our vehicles. Our number one priority is to keep everyone safe. Our prayers go out to all the families involved.”
Elmore also acknowledged that Southern tradition of stopping for funeral escorts.
“Now for me personally, I will always pull off the side of the road and turn my lights on just the way I was raised,” the FHP lieutenant said.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Comments
38 Responses to “Stopping For Funerals Is Southern Tradition, But What Does The Law Say?”
I cannot believe how disrespectful and selfish people are today. The people that raised me believed, not only do you get over on the side of the road, but my grandfather would get out of his truck, take off his hat and place it over his heart! To show RESPECT! What do you loose, 5 minutes on your commute? By acting like a decent human being and showing kindness to someone who just lost a loved one? Today, I was in a procession. We buried my granddaddy. Ours had a police escort, but you know some jerk still failed to yield and almost hit my 17 year old nephew head on? Guess he was just another one of you who “Hates” funeral processions! At the very least, please move over to the side of the road. Then you can go back to living your selfish, self absorbed lives and hopefully when you die, someone will show your family the same courtesy that you bestowed.
I hate having to stop for funerals. I am not sure who the person is who died, what kind of a person they were or if they were respectful to others themselves. I would hate to stop for a wife abuser, pedophile, or anyone who exploited others.
Here we go I will be glad when General Morgan is out and the tradition of escort is reinstated for the public also I read a person from up north said we don’t do that the escort thing WE’LL IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY WE DO THINGS AROUND HERE MOVE BACK UP NORTH ASAP YOU WILL NOT BE MISSED PERIOD!!!!!!!!!
@ PJ It is quite obvious that you were raised by a different set of standards of respect than we in this area of the country were. I really don’t care how you did it up there. When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Your right David Craig. Everything that happens in this county is not Morgans fault. But this decision was purely political. The streets are a mess and the S.O. is losing Deputies because the pay sucks. Again, he has a traffic unit that was escorting funerals. He still has a traffic unit that is out running radar and writing tickets. So its not a manpower issue in traffic. It was a punch in the face to the BOCC. Not the kind of Sheriff we need in this county.
What is the fine for impeding traffic? I stopped before in my lane on Navy Blvd because cars in front of me waited for a funeral procession to make its way to the base. Not much chance to get off the road at this location. Maybe it’s time to give up this Southern tradition altogether – like other customs deemed outdated. Why do people blame Morgan for everything? Same reason they blame Trump for all problems our country has – they have a personal vendetta against the man. Makes absolutely no sense, but we have to listen to their rambling because reasoning is not their strong point.
That did not impede traffic…the driver rear ending car 1 could have gone around..but driver in car 2 did not see car 1. How can you impede what you did not see. I really dislike this Morgan thing being dragged in this. There would be those who feel everything bad that happens..is Morgan’s fault. I don’t like the diversion if the topic from tragedy to blame
@ PJ:
To your comment “in contrast, up north a cruiser with lights on is required at every highway work site, which I also see as a total waste of resources”, just so you know, we as taxpayers do not pay for this type of service; those Officer’s are being paid for by whatever company is using them. They are used to protect the men and woman who are working on the roads/highways, so as to slow down traffic and keep them safe, as well as enforce the laws they are sworn to protect. And even though the state/county/city for which they serve is not paying them for this service, they can and will uphold the law and do their normal duties as if they were on state/county/city payroll. Learn before you speak.
I lived in New England for over 30 years. Never once saw a police escort for a funeral, there was a typically big black hearse, one or more large limo’s carrying he family and the rest following with headlights on.
The whole procession traveled slower than the regular speed limit and you really did not need flashing blue lights to tell you what was going on. Opposing traffic did not stop but did yield to the procession at intersections. In later years all the cars would carry a little flag which helped denote the last car in the group when daylight headlights became more common. Never once heard of a issue or an accident. When I moved here I did not understand why 2 police (front and rear) needed to be pulled from their duty to escort. (in contrast, up north a cruiser with lights on is required at every highway work site, which I also see as a total waste of resources).
It is a bit ironic all the comments I see about paying respect, when I regularly see almost no respect for ambulances traveling with full lights and sirens on. No one seems to be able to pull to the side to let them pass, even on a 2 lane road!
If you REALLY want to pay respect for the deceased, get in line, go to the burial and pay your respects
You voters of Escambia County get what you deserve. Sheriff Morgan is an arrogant pretentious man, who is Not an actual police officer, and Never has been. He will be seeking the office of Mayor of Pensacola and he will leave the Sheriff’s position, in the very near future. He will then ask Gov Scott to appoint Chip Simmons to fulfill the remaining term. Chip is well qualified for the job, but, currently, he is not allowed to make any decisions, or policy changes. Those are only done by the Lone Ranger.
We can only hope that the citizens of the City of Pensacola are smarter than the citizens of Escambia County, when it comes election time. Geez people!
This IS the fault of the BOCC, their lack of proper funding has forced the Sheriff to make cuts. Yes it’s unfortunate that someone was hurt but we cannot place blame onto those except the drivers of the accident. The fact that there weren’t any blue lights is irrelevant since white, yellow then red are more visible during day time hours. The presence of yellow lights at the rear of the procession may have helped prevent this tragedy. Obviously the driver wasn’t paying attention and noticed the brake lights ahead so let’s place blame where blame is due.
Faith Chapel charges a family $400.00 to have “escorts” for funerals. The escorts are not law enforcement, no blue lights, no arrest powers. What a joke.
So what you people are saying if its not a funeral and you top the hill and s car is stopped and you hit that car the one that has stopped is in the wrong help me understand you have to be alert at all times when your driven we need the police back to help escort these funerals before someone is killed but its the drivers responsability to watch cars that has stopped in the road for any reason!!!
Wasn’t aware the Sheriff has pulled the funeral escorts. This is really a shame! Most people around here are not aware or used to seeing Amber lights and a escort service for funerals. Our ECSO has always done a fantastic job and honored their fellow citizens by escorting their funerals to their final resting place. Sheriff Morgan should re-think this one. Our deputies know how to do it and safely! The citizens of Escambia County lose again.
On a four lane divided highway like 29 where people are driving 70mph, I just don’t see where it makes sense for oncoming traffic to pull over, too dangerous.
Sheriff Morgan, where are you and are you well?
Lately, the “Spokesman” for the ECSO is Chief Deputy Simmons.
Where we used to see Mr. Morgan we are seeing Mr. Simmons in advertisements, etc.
Specifically, Mr. Simmons appears in some magazine telling us about Mardi Gras and the role of the ECSO, the normal is for Mr. Morgan to be photographed in that sort of promotion and publication.
We’ve seen little of Sheriff Morgan since President Trump last visited and saw no promotional photos of the two of them together, maybe coming out at election time.
Hope all who were involved in the accident and the collateral persons are okay and if injured that they fully recover.
Funeral escorts are dangerous, the PROFESSIONALS of the ECSO should have been there but because of politics and childish behaviors on Mr. Morgan’s part they are absent.
BRING back our Escorts.
I’m glad that all is okay. I would hope if I come on brakes lights I would slow down. That was a bad wreck thank the person that slow down for the funeral. Shame on the person that didn’t see it. I am sure a lot of people has been on Pine Forest, Navy Blvd, Hwy 29, and other places. There 100″s of car that stop and respect and they don’t pull off . Please take a moment and watch.
Yes. Pull over for a funeral procession but people don’t have a clue what to do for an ambulance in this county.
Kudos to the escort company who took advantage of the Sheriffs blunder. But, your amber flashing lights will not save the day. You need blue lights and sirens to get their attention. There is a well orchestrated method to police funeral escorts. Leapfrogging, lead vehicle that warns drivers and a tail. They can run hundreds and never have a wreck. But you have politicians trying to do police work, So buckle up and hang on folks. Make no mistake, this is Morgans baby, not the BOCC.
A detail from yesterday is this from yesterday’s story: ” topped a hill and did not see the stopped Impala”.
It was nice that she stopped, but doing it on hill where the person behind you will probably be doing highway speed is a recipe for disaster. She needed to pull off the road.
I don’t know the people involved, but for instance: what would you do if you did not see a funeral on the opposite side of the road and topped a hill to see a parked car in your travel lane. Hope you have good reflexes.
I have always stopped for a funeral procession and even turned off the radio. If we are supposed to pull off the road now to stop, I won’t do that because there may objects which might puncture a tire, etc.
Whatever is customary or law with regards to the rules of the road – two things – safe operation of that motor vehicle regardless of the circumstances and the use of COMMON SENSE! which was not used nor mentioned in this article.
This is not about southern tradition – it is about holy crap I’m getting really close to the car in front of me and I need to slow down. Either careless driving or go and get your eyes examined!!
So basically, as a living person on the road I am afforded less respect than the dead.
What do we do in situations where there is not a shoulder to pull off onto? For example, between Gulf Beach Hwy and the the front gate at NAS. It’s a four-lane road with a center turn lane but lacks a shoulder on either side.
So essentially we are breaking the law when we stop to show respect for our deceased veterans on their way to Barrancas National Cemetery?
Very disappointed in the Sheriff. Got his feelings hurt and put citizens at risk. Pulled routine patrols from neighborhoods. Stopped funeral escorts. And didn’t he pull SROs from schools? Wow. Well, he is grooming good ole boy Chip to be our next Sheriff. Same ole, same ole folks. All those commercials and TV spots got to get expensive. Chip didn’t have the guts to stand up to Hayward and bailed the city with his Cadillac pension. It won’t be any different with the county. But you will hear it soon enough. Promises, promises.
This is so terrible.
So Sheriff Morgan is not allowing police escorts for funerals? Which may have helped this situation as that is what we in this area are used to seeing for a funeral not an escort vehicle. Yet he is going to allow officers to stop and impede traffic to allow church goers and race fans to leave the parking lots of churches and racetracks….this TOTALLY makes NO sense what so ever!!!! If he is going to be petty enough to remove his officers from some things then he needs to remove them from ALL things. I am sure that there are WAY more important crimes our officers can be investigating rather than directing traffic for a church or racetrack. Just my opinion here.
The so called sheriff has let the people of escambia county down. Had the SO been doing escorts this may have not happened.
I’m from Kansas & we do the same thing. Must be a Midwestern & Southern tradition.
Hope everyone will be OK.
Lesson here for the rest of us. A southern tradition not necessarily recognized in other parts of the country. I’ll slow, pull off the road and pray not to get rear ended during a funeral procession.
Morgan has taken a simple act of respect and weaponized it in attempts to have the final word with a BOCC he is unable to compromise with. The group is far from perfect and I completely understand his frustration but I have lost all empathy because of the childish ways in which he responds. The City of Pensacola continues to escort funerals including our Veterans onto NAS Pensacola but not Morgan. No need to even discuss the stellar job he’s done fighting crime. (Insert sarcasm here)
Basically what the law says is “Get out of their way!!!!”
Pull over to the side of the road. Do NOT stop IN the road. Duh.
Things like this didn’t happen when we had Sheriff”s escorts.
So confusing and dangerous. Do away with funeral processions altogether. We took my mom to the cemetery recently without any procession or problems.
FACT: Sheriff Morgan and Deputy Chief Simmons discontinued funeral escorts blaming budget cuts. FACT: They have a long standing feud with commissioners over the Sheriffs budget. FACT: The Sheriff still has a traffic/motor unit that could assist in these escorts. FACT: The Sheriff does NOT escort his own fallen Deputies. FACT: The PPD and FHP recently escorted a Deputy Sheriff to his burial spot. FACT: The Sheriff and Deputy Chief were in the procession but would not their people assist. Opinion: Without Police Escorts of funeral processions, more people will be injured or worse. You decide when its time to vote!
This is all new to me. The police would pull you over back in the day if you didn’t stop for a funeral.
I thought at one time if you didn’t stop you get a ticket. I’ve been in funerals where the police escort stop lanes on both sides of the road so I don’t see how the driver who stop is at fault at all.