A crash early Sunday morning toppled a Confederate monument in Weldon and a Roanoke Rapids man faces DWI and charges related to the damage of the statue.

Weldon police Chief Christopher Davis said this morning a damage estimate was not known.

In a statement Lieutenant A. Melton said Officer A. Dickens and Corporal S. McKimmey responded to the area of Maple and Ninth streets around 3:15 a.m. after receiving a vehicle crash call.

A Toyota Tundra had struck the monument which is located near the entrance of Cedarwood Cemetery.

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Investigation led the officers to determine that Solomon E. Bryant, 25, was intoxicated and driving under the influence, Melton said. Bryant and a female passenger were not injured.

Bryant was arrested and charged with DWI, resist, obstruct, and delay, damage to real property, and disorderly conduct. 

He received a $2,000 secured bond and October 9 court date.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol also assisted.

The monument, according to the Commemorative Lands database, was dedicated September 17, 1908 and was relocated to its current location on July 19, 1934 to make way for a paving project by the State Highway and Public Works Commission.

The dedication procession included a corps of Confederate veterans and Colonel Robert E. Lee Jr., the grandson of General Lee, delivered the keynote address.

The monument is 27-feet tall and depicts a common soldier dressed in a typical Confederate uniform, including a brimmed hat.

The north face notes the statue is in memory of Confederate soldiers and sailors and the south face notes it was erected by the Junius Daniel Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.