CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. — A 37-year-old Morley woman was arrested Saturday night after crashing her vehicle into Elmwood Cemetery in Cedar Springs, damaging multiple headstones before her car flipped over.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office reported the driver was charged with operating while intoxicated (OWI). Officials believe drugs and alcohol were contributing factors in the crash.
Witness Nathaniel Madonna was driving home with his family after getting ice cream when he saw the incident unfold.
"She careened through," Madonna said. "Starts plowing through headstones, bouncing along, and it hits a massive one by the end. And that's when the vehicle flipped, did a whole flip, and it was quite the scene."
Madonna and other bystanders rushed to help the driver.
"One of the gentlemen who had stopped with us rushed up to the car door and was able to pull it open, even though it was upside down," he said. "And just one passenger, one driver, I should say, and she was able to walk out."
The crash left significant damage throughout the cemetery.
"I mean, there are gravestones strewn everywhere. I mean, just rocks. There was a water main break. There's water gushing out, car parts just strewn across, for I mean, as far as you can see," Madonna said.
By Tuesday, cemetery staff had repositioned the headstones, though damage from the accident was still visible.
"Thankfully, no one was in the path of the vehicle. The only thing damaged was physical property," Madonna said.
The witness noted the accident left a strong impression on him and his family.
"You never really know what's going to happen. You can do everything right, and bad things can still happen," Madonna said. "And it was just a reminder that, ironically, in a cemetery of all places, life is precious."
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
