A Tennessee man is charged with murder and other crimes following a two-county police chase that ended in the crash death of the 77-year-old mother of a Morgan County sheriff’s sergeant.

Michael Neal Ivy, 39, of Middleton, is charged with murder, first-degree assault, felony attempting to elude, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and multiple traffic offenses, Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry and District Attorney Champ Crocker announced Tuesday.

Ivy is charged in the Friday death of Ellarea Dickson. Dickson was the mother of Morgan County sheriff’s Sgt. John Dickson.

At the time of the crash, Ellarea Dickson and granddaughter Alyssa Dickson were on their way to work at a local Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

The chase began Friday morning in Hartselle when police saw a vehicle driving erratically and tried to stop it.

The driver refused and the pursuit was on.

The chase continued into Cullman County where it ended in a crash on U.S. 31 in the city of Cullman near the South Cullman Shopping Center.

Multiple agencies were involved in the pursuit including Hartselle, Cullman, and Falkville police as well as the Alabama State Troopers.

The 77-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene. The granddaughter sustained two broken arms, a broken pelvis, a broken leg, a brain bleed and a small tear in an artery.

She is in Huntsville Hospital in critical but stable condition.

Ivy will be transported to the Cullman County Detention Center upon his discharge from the hospital. He is currently being held with no bond.

“One of the hardest things about law enforcement is having to deal with other people’s bad decisions. These actions often put us in no win situations,’’ Gentry said. “We do everything in our power to keep the citizens safe, but sometimes tragedy still strikes. “

“Mrs. Dickson was a wonderful, sweet lady that I had an opportunity to get to know over the years. I had spoken with her on several occasions at community meetings, as well as at KFC,’’ the sheriff said. “Losing her is an absolute tragedy. We will be with her family every step of the way to ensure that prosecution is carried out to the fullest extent of the law.”

A GoFundMe for the Dickson family has raised more than $4,000. Donations can be made here.