DANVILLE, Va. – A hearse driver has been charged after hitting a Danville Police officer who was directing traffic at a funeral procession Monday afternoon. At 1:15 p.m., officer Andrew Eanes used his patrol vehicle to block southbound traffic as he led a funeral procession northbound on North Main Street to the Highland Burial Park entrance.

The officer stepped out of the patrol vehicle to come to attention while the funeral passed when the hearse ran into him and the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle. Eanes was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was still being evaluated Monday evening.

The driver of the hearse, 35-year-old Tyrell Payne, 35, was not injured; however, he was charged with failure to maintain proper control of a vehicle.