BUENOS AIRES Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, arrived here early Monday to arrange the funeral of her mother, Susan Barrantes, who died in a head-on car crash, airport officials said. Ferguson, who was dressed in black, went directly to the Ezeiza Airport VIP room and said nothing to reporters. She was accompanied by an aunt. She then flew in a private jet to Salliquelo, and from there drove to her mother's 1,200-hectare (3,000-acre) ranch, El Pucara, 480 kilometers (300 miles) southwest of the capital.

She was joined there by her sister, Jane Luedecke, who lives in Australia. Barrantes, 61, was the ex-wife of the duchess' father, Major Ronald Ferguson. Barrantes died 9:15 p.m. Saturday (0015 GMT Sunday) when her Land Rover 420 collided head-on with a Renault traffic near her ranch. Her nephew, Rafael Barrantes, was a passenger in the vehicle but escaped without injury.

Barrantes was to be buried Tuesday on the El Pucara ranch alongside her second husband, professional polo player Hector Barrantes, a spokesman for the duchess said. Barrantes died in 1990 of cancer. (AFP)