Reimbursements Available For Repairs To Gravesites Damaged In Oct. 2022 Crash

Thursday, August 31st, 2023

Nearly a year after a drunk driver crashed his truck through a section of the West Hill Cemetery near Emery Street there are still damaged gravesites waiting for repair. The City of Dalton's Public Works Department has been working on the issue and now has a plan for families of the deceased whose gravesites were damaged to be reimbursed by an insurance company.

Right: A file photo shows damaged graves in the West Hill Cemetery

"We've been going back and forth with the insurance company," said Public Works Director Chad Townsend. "I believe we've finally got the answers that we need to get this resolved and ... we now have a clear direction forward."

The City of Dalton owns and operates the cemetery, but because the City does not own the individual gravesites or the headstones and other markers damaged in the crash the insurance company has been unable to send funds directly to the City to handle repairs. The resolution is for families to perform the repairs to the gravesites and then for the insurance company to reimburse them for their expenses. The Public Works Department is asking for the affected families to contact Chad Townsend (706-278-7077) for information on how to start that process. 

The gravesites were damaged in the early morning hours of October 2nd, 2022 when a driver lost control of his vehicle and ran off of Emery Street near the Georgian Apartments. The driver hit more than a dozen gravesites, damaging headstones and other markers. The driver was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.