Infant headstones damaged after woman let child drive, police say

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - A Chandler woman is facing charges after police say she let a 9-year-old child drive.

Police were called Monday evening to a cemetery in the 3800 block of Kratzville Road in Evansville.

They say a car was off the road and had hit several gravestones.

Officers say 48-year-old Jemie Robertson told them she let a 9-year-old girl sit in her lap and work the pedals and steering wheel.

Police say Robertson’s license is suspended and she could not show proof of insurance.

She was cited for neglect and criminal mischief, and then taken to the hospital to be checked for pain in her legs and shoulders.

After she was cleared from the hospital, Robertson was booked into jail.

The cemetery isn’t moving them until insurance companies can come out here and assess them.

Chris Cooke, the City Cemeteries Superintendent, said it’s a tragic situation that could have 100 percent been prevented.

“When somebody deals with grief and loss, that grief and loss can scab over, and to have an incident such as this, if they don’t get the word about the story," Cooke said. "That’s like pulling a scab of grief of loss off that you can unload a whole range of emotions on somebody. What we’ve got to do is try to correct this as quickly as possible. Ensure that those responsible are punished in order to protect the families and the voiceless that are here within our city cemeteries.”

Police say the damage to the cemetery is more than $2,500.

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