Funeral set for Pequot Lakes sisters killed along with nephew in off-road vehicle crash near Peoria, Ill.

One sister was about to graduate from Bethel, and the other attended Pequot Lakes High School.

March 28, 2022 at 1:30PM

Funeral services are scheduled for Tuesday for two sisters from central Minnesota, who died along with their 2-year-old nephew after their off-road vehicle collided with a pickup truck south of Peoria, Ill.

The crash occurred late in the afternoon March 19 at a rural intersection near Tremont, according to the Tazewell County Coroner's Office.

The sisters riding in the utility terrain vehicle (UTV) were identified as 22-year-old Ashley Embree and 16-year-old Sarae Embree, both of Pequot Lakes. Emergency responders declared them dead at the scene.

The pickup driver was injured, as were three others among the six in the UTV, said Sheriff Jeff Lower.

The nephew, Ryle Embree, died Friday while hospitalized, according to the Peoria County Coroner's Office.

Ryle was sitting on another passenger's lap in a UTV made to accommodate four people, the sheriff said.

"There were definitely more people [in the UTV] than there should have been," Lower said.

Ryle's father, 34-year-old Jordan Embree, was driving the UTV at the time roughly a half-mile from his house.

Both drivers were cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident in order to allow authorities to test their blood for signs of drug or alcohol impairment.

While the case remains under investigation, the sheriff added last week that said it appears the UTV ran a stop sign.

Ashley Embree was nearing graduation from Bethel University in Arden Hills with a degree in social work. She was "desiring to care for and support people from all walks of life in the Twin Cities," her online obituary read.

"Sarae's addition to the Embree family via her home country of Guatemala made this a fantastic five!" read the obituary for Pequot Lakes High School student. "From her smile to infectious personality, Sarae was a true gift from God that rounded out her family in all the right ways."

The sisters are survived by their parents, Brent and Katie Embree, and brother Carter. Funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Timberwood Church in Nisswa, Minn.

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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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