THROOP, Pa. — A man was killed when a headstone fell on his head at a cemetery in northeast Pennsylvania early Monday morning.
Police said the 74-year-old man and his wife were decorating a family grave for Easter when one of the headstones at St. Joseph’s Cemetery fell on his head.
Ed Kubilus, a caretaker at the cemetery, told WNEP the wet ground causes the bases of the headstones to sink, making them easy to tip over.
Kubilus says the couple visited the cemetery “several times a year” decorating their family gravesite.
“They tie a cross to it every year, the both of them. And after they’re done tying the cross to it, they stand there, say prayers, and then they leave,” Kubilus said.
Kubilus said the couple recently moved their burial plots right in front of the headstone that fell.
Police, paramedics, and the county coroner were on scene for a few hours on Monday to remove the man’s body.
The victim’s name has not been released, however the couple is from Scranton, WNEP reported.
