Probe Into Fatal Eagleswood Accident Involving Ocean Freeholder Ongoing
Not unusual for investigations to take weeks, State Trooper Christopher Kaye says
The investigation into the fatal May 18 accident that killed a Barnegat motorcyclist and involved Ocean County Freeholder John P. Kelly has not yet been completed, State Trooper Christopher Kay said.
"It's still under investigation," Kay said today.
Kay said it was "not uncommon" for a probe into a fatal accident to take weeks.
"There's a lot of entities involved," Kay said.
The accident killed William D. Kolb, 24, of Barnegat. He was thrown from his motorcycle after it collided with the sports utility vehicle driven by Kelly, state police have said.
Trooper Joseph Mezzo has said that Kolb was southbound on Route 9 on his black 2011 Harley Davidson at approximately 6:35 p.m., near mile marker 65.5. Kolb attempted to pass the vehicle in front of him, then collided with the right fender of Kelly's 2005 SUV when he tried to return to the lane of traffic, he said.
Kelly, 61, West Creek, was northbound on Route 9 and was attempting to make a left turn into the West Creek Deli when the collision occurred, Mezzo said.
Results of the bloodwork done on Kelly after the accident are still not available, Kay said.
Kelly consented to the procedure, which is standard protocol in fatal accidents, state police have said.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office is not involved in the investigation, Executive Assistant Prosecutor Michael Paulhus said today.
Retired Chief
5:18 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Give Kelly a break and release the negative blood test.
Scott Johnston
5:43 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
sounds fishy to me
max
6:05 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
That is the same thing I am thinking.
Robert Bressman
5:49 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
What difference does it make if it was negative, he still didn't have the right of way
Mattie
6:18 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Neither did the cyclist if he was using the shoulder as a passing lane (passing on the right is technically illegal)....
Also the car that was stopped in front of him may have obscured the cyclist from Kelly's line of sight until it was too late and Kelly was already into his turn.
Sal Sorce
9:02 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Doesn't anyone realize how many drivers using roads in our area
are guilty of riding on the shoulder or safety lane???
The memorial on Rt.9 north has been there for many years
and that was a young girl who was riding her bike on the shoulder
when apparently someone passed a car and hit her.
Anyone crossing any road into oncoming traffic is guilty of not
having a clear line of vision ... there apparently are no witnesses
who can attest to what happened ... it's not unusual to have
a driver (it happened to me today) a nut cut directly into my riding
North on Rt.9, I had to hit my brakes to avoid hitting him.
A driver who drove into a pole, his 18 year old passenger was
thrown through the rear window and died of severe injuries ...
the driver was recently charged with four separate felonies ... all by
a grand jury ... the incident happened in 2010, therefore this may
take some time ... but judging from what we know, it is perhaps
a driver who had not a clear path while crossing a road and into
oncoming traffic ... it goes on everyday in Ocean County rural roads.
Rick
10:04 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Route 9 is a rural road?
jrzemom
10:46 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Sal .. It sure does, including school buses & police....
Retired Chief
10:53 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
When you are going 80 and passing on the right as the cyclist was, you are flirting with danger. Too bad 4 everyone.
Robert Bressman
7:54 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
if the biker was going 80 mph, then kelly could've seen him coming a mile away, or maybe you don't look ahead?
WhyOhWhy
7:57 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
I have to agree wth you Retired Chief....We shouldn't clump all cyclist together but I will say in my experience I have seen MORE Cyclist driving carelessly then not. Just 2 weeks ago drivin down the pkwy... Cyclist on one of those rice rockets comes flying past me and it was so loud it took me by surprise, scared the living Sh*t out of me. Good thing I have a good reaction time and I wasn't inexperienced or a 80 yr old or there could've bee a serious accident....This idiot was weaving in and out of traffic Only to catch up with his buddies about 2 miles down the pkwy. I know this bc they were all stopped on the shoulder chatting when I pasted them. BUT this is OK, bc Cars should respect them and allow them to drive this way and heavens forbid they be called on their careless driving... Then we are PICKING on them an are Motor cycle haters ! Don't give me the ammunition then !
Rick
10:09 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Mr Bressman, At 80 MPH you are covering almost 100 feet per second. That doesn't allow for a lot of wiggle room
Rick
10:10 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
And for that matter, there are very few sections of route 9 where there is a mile of straight road
Robert Bressman
7:16 am on Sunday, June 10, 2012
Rick, that's my point, usually if some is coming at you fast, a driver with any experience, that was looking ahead would know not to make a left turn into on coming traffic and where in the article did it even say the the bike was going 80mph.
Ken
12:54 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Even if the results show the freeholder even part at fault it will be covered up since he is a freeholder.
Scott Neuman
7:54 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Who said the cyclist passes on the right and at 80 miles per hour.
Brian Fitzpatrick
9:08 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Scott, you are absolutely correct. There is no mention in any of the stories, on Patch at least, that Kolb was passing the other car on the car's right, nor is there any speed cited. A few versions of this story state that the speed of either Kelly's car, or Kolb's motorcycle, is unknown.
Kimbo Sliceopizza
8:09 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
The. Blood tests are going to show what we already know - high....cholesterol
Lanoka Lou
9:32 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Maybe the bike passed on the left and Kelly was making a left without his blinker on as the biker was passing him he then would have hit the right fender,
dhhex
10:48 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Oh please, nothing is going to happen. A couple of years ago a Spanish immigrant worker was run over and killed in Lakewood by a teenage driver from an influential Toms River family, that was speeding. There was a bottle of beer in the car. The bottle disappeared, the kid was sent home, and the “investigation” was going and going and going....closed. There was no breathalyzer.
This is a corrupt good old boy State.
Rick
5:42 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
"Corrupt good old boy state"?
Why haven't you moved?
Silverton local
4:41 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Kelly was heading North. Cyclist heading South. The cyclist passed a right hand turning Southbound car on the left and hit left hand turning northbound Kelly.
Stan Buchwald
4:47 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
First of all, where did 80mph come from? Also I have been told in a defensive Driving course that passing on the right is acceptable as long as you do not leave the roadway (pavement) to do so.
Rick
5:41 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
On a single lane road the ONLY time you can pass on the right is if the car in front of you is making a signaled left turn, but not on the shoulder of the road. (Right out of the NJ Driver's Manual.
Silverton local
7:14 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
He didnt pass on the right. The car he passed was turning right. There is nothing to the left for that car to turn into.
Patrick Sayjack
8:16 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
You people are pathetic..Stop pissing and moaning about it.It was an accident
Not Dave Most
9:37 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Jack is a God fearing Man...the Kid was speeding and he is the one at fault . Please stop bad mouthing Jack. He is the victim here!.
Tom Cular
7:34 am on Sunday, June 10, 2012
This too will be swept under the rug, just as it was when Assemblyman and Lakewood politician Robert Singer ran over an elderly pedestrian .
Ken
12:08 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
A man is DEAD and you are saying that freeloader Kelly is the victim??? You have got to be kidding me, you can not be serious!
Scott Neuman
9:16 am on Sunday, June 10, 2012
I appreciate that Freeholder Kelly is a good fearing man. There is a law working its way in our state that will create jail time while texting or using a cell phone. The problem with the law is that we are all in control of a huge piece of metal on the highways and it is up to us to be in control of our vehicles at all times. Turning left in front of any vehicle is at the least failure to yield the right of way. Then careless driving. I say this as some that had a driver turn left in front of them and caused an accident. Kolbs mistake very well might have been being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If Kelly turned left in front of Kolb, he is at fault. Still horrible for all concerned.
FR Grown
9:54 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
From what I hear... The kid always drove fast and hard. Just another tragedy for all involved...right BJ? If you don't fight Teddy Mann you are a PUSSY cat.
Scott Neuman
8:56 am on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Very common. Blame the victim.