Grave Clobber: Teen Charged With Drunkenly Crashing Into 19 Northampton Headstones, DA Says

A 19-year-old Western Massachusetts man accused of drunkenly crashing into more than a dozen gravestones in Northampton said it wasn't him, authorities said.

Matthew James Dulude, 19, is accused of driving this car through a Northampton cemetery over the weekend and crashing into 19 gravestones, authorities said. Northampton police believe was drunk at the time of the wreck. Dulude pleaded not guilty.
Photo Credit: *Northampton Police Department on Facebook*

Josh Lanier

04/11/2023 2:11 p.m.

Matthew James Dulude, of Holyoke, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, April 11, to charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, speeding, possession of open containers of alcohol, and failure to wear a seatbelt, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.

Related: Holyoke Driver Smashes 19 Headstones In Northampton Cemetery

Northampton police patrolling Bridge Road noticed Dulude and his car just before 1:45 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, near St. Mary's Cemetery with "heavy front end damage," officials said. Dulude showed signs of being intoxicated, officers noted in their report.

Investigators believe Dulude was driving west when he careened off Bridge Road, the prosecutor said.

A photo taken from a drone shows the path of destruction through St. Mary's Cemetery. In all, 19 headstones were damaged.

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