Authorities have accused a man from Nebraska of damaging grave markers in an eastern Iowa cemetery after his truck crashed into the area.
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office reported that on June 15, Kellen Phillip Beaver, a 21-year-old resident of North Bend, Nebraska, was apprehended and accused of first-time operation while intoxicated/impaired. Additionally, he was charged with failure to maintain control and failure to maintain proper speed.
According to KGAN-TV, Beaver was driving a 1999 Ford F-250 on Racine Avenue at approximately 11:40 p.m. CDT on June 15th, when he was speeding and ultimately lost control of the vehicle while making a turn onto Water Street. The police reported the incident.
According to the TV station, several headstones and grave markers were destroyed as the truck veered off the road and rumbled through Quasqueton Cemetery before coming to a stop in a resident’s yard.
The sheriff’s office stated that a citation was issued to a passenger in the vehicle due to their possession of an open container.
According to KCRG-TV, the cemetery board members have estimated that the damage caused is worth more than $50,000.
According to board member Lori Gericke, 10 headstones have been damaged.
According to Gericke, the insurance company representing the party at fault must conduct a thorough investigation and take numerous photographs before any action can be taken. As Gericke explained to the news station, the headstones have been severely damaged, with many being twisted, broken, and displaced. Therefore, it is crucial to wait until the insurance company has completed their investigation before any further steps can be taken.
This isn’t the initial incident where a vehicle has crashed into the cemetery and led to damage.
According to Deputy Sheriff Cory Hartmann from Buchanan County, there were two incidents in 2023 that were weather-related. “One incident was in January of 2023, and another one was in December of 2023,” he shared with KCRG.
Gericke informed the television station that this is the second time in approximately seven months. He further added that they were in the process of completing the first round of repairing and organizing all the stones when this incident occurred.
According to Clerk Derhammer, the headstone of his parents was discovered at a distance of 100 feet away from their original gravesite.
According to KCRG, Derhammer was moved to tears upon seeing the sight.
