Crash damages JFK Memorial in Holyoke early Sunday morning

HOLYOKE — A 26-year-old driver allegedly under the influence of drugs struck the John F. Kennedy Memorial early Sunday morning, toppling and destroying several of its Vermont granite markers.

Police Chief Brian Keenan said the driver will face charges for operating under the influence of drugs, as well as for destruction of property with a value higher that $1,200.

The Holyoke Police Department outlined in a Facebook post how the department responded to the scene at Suffolk and Sycamore streets at about 4:30 a.m. Sunday.

There, the driver, a male resident of Springfield, and his passenger were removed from the car by the Fire Department. Following their removal, both driver and passenger were administered Narcan and brought to the hospital with possible injuries.

In 1967, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee erected the small memorial plaza, which has a bust of the late president, flanked by granite blocks with excerpts from his inaugural address and six granite blocks listing JFK Award recipients and the grand marshals of the St. Patrick’s Day Committee.

The memorial commemorates Kennedy’s ties to the city, most notably his 1958 visit to Holyoke for the seventh St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and every year the space is used as the backdrop for an Irish flag raising ahead of St. Patrick’s Day.

Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.