BILLINGS — About 30 veteran headstones and an entry sign at Mountview Cemetery in central Billings were damaged Monday when a driver ran into them, according to Billings police.
The driver, a 24-year-old man, was heading west on Central Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle, entered the cemetery, and struck multiple gravestones.
It's the second time in five months that several veteran headstones at the cemetery have been damaged, as a driver destroyed 14 headstones in July.
"This is kind of frustrating and irritating and sad," said Mountview Cemetery supervisor Brandon Schmidt Wednesday. "I thought maybe I got some time to get things sorted out here before the next one."
Schmidt said plans are in the works for temporary and permanent solutions.
"I ordered 12 big flower pots. They'll be a couple thousand pounds a piece when we get them all filled up, that we'll place here along Central," Schmidt said. "Lockwood Precast, they're making those for us. Then they're lending us 10 big concrete blocks to put there temporarily until those flower pots get created."
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pays for the 400-pound veteran headstones.
"Last time back in July, it took a month and a half or so to get the replacement stones in," said Schmidt.
With the second annual Patriot's Run happening Sunday, he's hoping it will help with fundraising for a more permanent solution.
"I'd like to get a wall for 100% protection along this section of Central. I have an engineering firm doing up an estimate for the engineering work and construction costs for that," Schmidt said. "Anything that we make from that race will go towards some sort of solution here along Central."
He's also got some help from the nonprofit Partners for Parks Foundation.
"It's just really sad to see these monuments destroyed," said the nonprofit's chair, Jami Clark.
Because the cemetery falls under the city's Parks and Recs Department, the foundation is accepting online donations on behalf of the cemetery to go toward a permanent wall.
"I think the fact that this happened again already is just going to make those that care about our parks, care about our cemeteries and care about these veteran headstones that they will make some more donations so that we can complete them," Clark said. "We're here and we can help people that want to donate or make a difference for parks and the cemetery and Billings."
Police said the driver was cited for careless driving and no insurance.
The driver remained on scene and participated in the investigation, which is why traffic citations were issued, according to police.
