FREWSBURG – Social media helped the Carroll Police Department find the person responsible for an accident that caused damage to the Maple Grove Cemetery recently.

individual that caused damages. Police Chief William Nelson noted that the individual has since been caught, with the town now in possession of her insurance information. With the help from the community, Nelson stated that the cemetery will now be able to receive the necessary repairs.

Nelson stated that the Carroll Police Department received the initial report on Jan. 7. The report stated that several grave markers had been damaged or knocked over at the Maple Grove Cemetery, located on Frew Run Street. Nelson stated that the damage to the graves appeared to have been caused by a vehicle. Nelson noted that five graves were allegedly damaged, all of which are quite old and therefore more challenging to locate surviving family.

Nelson noted that the department’s use of social media was crucial to helping to identify the person that hit the graves, as they seemed to have fled after the accident. Nelson stated that the department frequently utilizes the help of the community through posts on the department’s Facebook page. The same was done in the scenario, with description of the alleged vehicle posted to the page seeking help from nearby residents. Shortly after these posts, Nelson stated that the Sheriff’s Office received a call from a person that provided details, including a name, of the person responsible.

While the search was difficult at first with the department struggling to find an address for the individual, it would not take long for the person to come forward and identify herself to the Carroll Police.

“The driver indicated that she had gone to the cemetery to visit a grave. When she was leaving, she slid off of the side of the driveway and got stuck,” said Nelson. “She attempted to get out and in that process the markers were damaged. That’s the way the report reads.”

Nelson noted that, due to the fact that the driver fled the scene of the accident, a traffic ticket was issued with the orders to appear in court at a later date. Nobody was injured, according to Nelson. The fact that the individual has been identified, and that an accident report has been able to be filled out, means that town officials no longer need to worry about how the damages will be covered. This is because the driver’s insurance will now be covering the costs, with Nelson having noted that the town will need to get an official estimate done on the costs first. Currently, the town officials believe that the damage roughly totals about $2,000, but a more accurate estimate is soon to be performed.