By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–Extensive damage was caused when a car plowed into Memorial Cemetery in Paris Sunday, destroying an above ground mausoleum and several headstones and dislodging several others. A few trees that had been planted by the city of Paris at the cemetery also were destroyed.
The accident occured around 5 a.m. Sunday in snowy and icy conditions. The accident report indicates the driver was speeding too fast for the conditions.
Release of the report was delayed due to computer problems at the police department.
According to the report, the driver of the vehicle was Cooper Smith, age 20, of Paris. He was traveling eastbound on Memorial Drive when he hit a patch of ice, lost control, crossed over all lanes of traffic, ran off the roadway and struck the embankment before striking the headstones and mausoleum.
The front of the car erupted in fire upon impact but Smith was not injured. According to the report, he was wearing his seat belt.
Memorial Cemetery is owned by the city of Paris. According to City Parks and Recreation Director Tony Lawrence, all of the families whose monuments were destroyed or damaged were contacted shortly after the wreck that morning.
“The first step is that Henry County Monument Works has been there and will be working to restore the monuments. With the weather conditions, it may be a couple of months before all the new monuments are up,” he said.
When the car plowed into the mausoleum, caskets were exposed and they are being tended to by Ridgeway Funeral Home, Lawrence said.
“Ridgeway was there right away to take the caskets to the funeral home and everything was cleaned up at that site by the city crews by 7 a.m. that morning,” Lawrence said.
Photo: A portion of the extensive damage at Memorial Cemetery shortly after the wreck Sunday. At left of photo is the slab where the mausoleum was located. Shannon McFarlin photo.