The first of two Des Moines police officers killed in an accident Saturday will be laid to rest today (Wednesday). Officer Susan Farrell and partner Carlos Puente-Morales died when a car traveling the wrong way on Interstate 80 hit their police S-U-V head on. Farrell’s funeral is this morning at 11 o’clock. Des Moines Police Department spokesperson, Sergeant Paul Parizek says they’ve gotten responses from officers in other states who will attend the funeral.

“We’ve had phone calls from as far away as Georgia, people inquiring about the services. There’s a teletype we sent out to every agency in the nation and we’ve had a lot of response — particularly from the midwest,” Parizek says. He says the funeral procession will stretch between eight and 10 miles. Parizek says things will be congested as they leave West Des Moines and head down the Interstate to the cemetery.

He says they are expecting well over one-thousand emergency vehicles in the funeral procession. The Des Moines Department will stretch ladder trucks over the roadway to hold a large American flag. Officer Puente-Morales’ funeral is set for Friday. Two others also died in the accident, Tosha Hyatt of Des Moines was being transported from Council Bluffs to Des Moines by the officers.

The State Medical Examiner identified 25-year-old Ben Beary, of Knoxville, as the driver of the car which crashed head-on into the Des Moines police S-U-V. The State Patrol is still investigating how the accident happened.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislature is on track to approve a bill that would add penalties for people accused of peeping on others. The House voted in support of the legislation Tuesday and the bill passed unanimously in the Senate last month. New language added in the House means it will return to the Senate before it can reach Governor Terry Branstad.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court is considering whether thousands of felons have been appropriately stripped of their voting rights for life. The outcome of the case will likely have a major impact on five defendants who are charged with illegally voting in the 2012 presidential election. At issue is the definition of the wording in the Iowa Constitution that strips anyone convicted of an “infamous crime” of their voting rights.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — The city of Fort Dodge has committed $20,000 to a study to determine the future of a vacant and deteriorating downtown building. The city and the Fort Dodge Community Foundation are trying to decide how to best use the Warden Plaza. The eight-story building was constructed around 1925 and has been vacant for a decade.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of two Des Moines police officers killed when a wrong-way driver struck their cruiser over the weekend. Flags will be flown at half-staff Wednesday and Friday for officers Susan Farrell and Carlos Puente-Morales.

(Update 4:55)

An investigation into suspicious behavior early this morning in Cass County quickly evolved into a pursuit that ended with the vehicle in a ditch east of Wiota, and one person being taken into custody. Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Bartholomew told KJAN News he was passing an SUV while on routine patrol a little after 1-a.m., when he noticed the vehicle made a sudden turn onto a gravel road in the vicinity of 720th and Fairview Road, west of Anita.

When he attempted to catch up to vehicle, it sped-off, with the chase traversing down gravel and dirt roads. The vehicle, a 2002 Mitsubishi, eventually made its way onto 690th and turned west onto Whitepole Road (Highway 6) toward Wiota, with speeds approaching 85-90 miles per hour. The deputy used his Dodge Charger in a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver. The move caused the SUV to enter the south ditch off Whitepole Road, where it came to rest facing northeast. The chase ended at around 1:20-a.m.

The driver of the SUV, Denise Chamberlain, of Atlantic, was taken into custody on charges that include OWI/drugged, felony eluding and other, moving violations. A passenger in the vehicle was not charged. The Sheriff’s cruiser sustained damage to its right front quarter panel and left rear bumper/valance area. The rear damage was sustained when the car was on a dirt road and struck several deep ruts.

No injuries were reported.

(Photos by KJAN News Director Ric Hanson)