Florida man drove through cemetery, damaged headstones, crashed into house, police say

BARTOW, Fla. — A man was arrested after he drove through a cemetery in Bartow, damaging some headstones before he ultimately crashed into a house, according to police and multiple reports.

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Police saw Timothy David Adams, 40, recklessly driving and running a stop sign just after midnight Thursday, according to WFLA. Officers attempted to stop Adams but he fled the area.

Officers tried to chase Adams but he turned off his lights, which made it harder to follow him, according to WTVT.

Adams ended up driving through a fence near Stuart Street on the side of Wildwood Cemetery, according to WFLA. Adams hit about six headstones, the news station reported.

A few minutes later, Adams missed a turn and crashed into a house, according to WTVT.

Police shared photos from Wildwood Cemetery on Facebook on Friday. They showed “officers moving tombstones back into place at Wildwood Cemetery after a suspect ran amuck, trying to elude the police, before crashing into a family’s home, and then (being) subsequently arrested,” the Bartow Police Department said in the post.

Police say they found methamphetamine inside Adams’ car when they searched it, WTVT reported.

WFLA reported that the judge found probable cause for two of six counts which involved the gravestones and other additional charges.

The car Adams was driving had stolen tags, authorities said. According to WFLA, the owner of the stolen car had insurance on it which is expected to help the city and the owners of the house that the car crashed into with repairs.

No further information has been released.