Mayor says driver will be responsible for cemetery damages

Several graves were damaged recently by an impaired driver driving in the cemetery in Franklin, but that driver will be held responsible for paying for repairs to any graves that were damaged, Mayor Eugene Foulcard said.
“A very unfortunate incident,” Foulcard said. “But law enforcement did make an arrest. That person has been handled for what transpired.”
The mayor said he didn’t think there was any malice or intent to vandalize the cemetery. Martin Sonnier, 56, of Parks, was arrested at 6:55 p.m. on Jan. 11 on charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (second offense) and 40 counts of criminal damage to property, among other charges. Sonnier was identified as a suspect in a hit and run accident in the area of Main Street and Northwest Boulevard at 5:37 p.m. on Jan. 11, and Franklin police officers responded to a call at 6:40 p.m. that day to reports of someone driving in the cemetery and hitting several graves. Sonnier was arrested after police arrived at the scene, according to a press release from Interim Chief Tina Thibodeaux.
“I just think the driver was impaired and ended up in that graveyard some type of way,” Foulcard said. “It was just very unfortunate.”
Police will look into whether the driver has auto insurance to help pay for repairs.
“Not all of them were severely damaged, but then there were some that had some damages that will take some serious repair,” Foulcard said. “But I think it’s something they can handle internally between the driver of that vehicle with that insurance.”