Point Man Free After Allegedly Causing Death of Brick Woman
Robert "Paul" Cook released from Ocean County jail after arrest for DWI, vehicular homicide in Brick car crash on Saturday
Photos
A Point Pleasant Borough man is out of jail for now, but could wind up right back in for up to 10 years if convicted of causing the death of a Brick woman in a car crash on Jordan Road Saturday, authorities said on Monday.
Robert P. Cook Jr., known as "Paul," 28, Mossbank Road, posted bail on Sunday, according to the Ocean County jail website. Cook had been lodged in the county jail on $100,000 bond, no 10 percent option, Executive Assistant County Prosecutor Michel Paulhus said.
Cook is charged with second degree death by auto, drunken driving, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane, in connection with a Saturday afternoon car crash on Jordan Road near Colonial Drive, Paulhus said.
Cook allegedly drove his Honda at about 3 p.m. into a car driven by Jane C. Eager, 80, Brick, who was pronounced dead at the scene, Paulhus said.
If convicted, Cook faces a maximum 10 year jail sentence and "no early release," due to the death by auto charge, Paulhus said. "No early release" means that, if convicted, Cook would have to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole, Paulhus said.
Cook had minor injuries and was treated and released at a local hospital, which was most likely Ocean Medical Center in Brick, said Paulhus.
Both cars had no passengers.
LandmanNJ
6:28 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
The accident was nasty. We drove up to crash site a minute or so after it happened --- we missed being the victims of that drunken driver by that small space of time and what a damn shame Mrs. Eager was the victim of yet another drunken driver on Jordan Road and our Brick streets. Drunk driving at any time is unacceptable --- but drunk at 3 PM and leaving Point Pleasant to be out on our roads? Really? There's no defense against that. Our hearts are out to the family of the slain woman and God rest her soul. As for the driver, God have mercy but I sure hope the courts don't show any !!!!
Mrgrumpass
12:59 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
This is the order of law suits this ladies family should pursue. (Not for the bucks but to change the laws and protect others)
The BAR
The Town
The County
The State
There are too many people here saying he made a poor choice, that’s BS he knew exackly what he was doing, he was drinking because he wanted to, a drink is a choice multiple drinks was his choice!
Dave D.
6:36 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
And yet pat doyle gets of with a slap on the wrist. A man with his 3rd DWI and was high at the time gets away with murder. got to wonder who has their head up their butt on that one
Dave D.
6:39 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
And yet pat doyle gets only a slap on the wrist. A man with his 3rd DWI and was high at the time gets away with murder. got to wonder who has their head up their butt on that one
LandmanNJ
6:47 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
The sentence given to Doyle for killing that 19 year-old young man from my neighborhood was an outrage. I believe it was only 8 months for the criminal charge of DWI even though it was the 3rd offense. But he's already been tried and sentenced and nothing can be done about the lame judge that heard that case. And now we see an elderly woman killed in similar fashion by another drunk driver less than a quarter mile from this recent accident site. It's beyond shameful and reprehensible.
Daniel Nee
8:14 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
LandmanNJ - Pat Doyle was not tried, he pleaded guilty to DWI after a grand jury did not indict him on a criminal charge. The judge in his case was statutorily bound to sentence him to six months in jail. He could not sentence him to either more or less time.
Vincent Briffa
10:19 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
Exactly right Daniel. We took the plea, because there was a possibility of him getting less time. It was only option that seemed right at the time. In retrospect most likely the only thing I regret in my life.
teddy
6:52 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
How exactly does "no early release" mean he would have to serve "at least 85% of his sentence."? Throw the book at him....first offense or not. Driving drunk is no different than shooting a gun into a crowd....maybe you kill someone, maybe not. Sickening that someone lives 80 years on this earth, only to get taken out like this. Drunk driving and killing someone is NOT an accident!
Mrs. G.
8:39 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
I thought the same about "no early release". Like so many things in our society, we do not say what we mean or mean what we say. No wonder why we are so confused.
Pamela
7:15 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
He shouldn't be out on bail, Doyle should be in jail for life. It is murder plain and simple. Third offense.....ridiculous....such a loser & he is living his life & that boy is dead. What is wrong with our system. Everytime you take a drink and choose to get behind the wheel you are blatantly disregarding the importance of anyone else in this world but yourself.
clamdigger
8:02 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
I don't know when any of you learned to drive, but when I took driver's ed way back when, drinking and driving was actually part of the course. You were given guidelines on how much beer, liquor and wine you could drink in a certain time frame and still be able to drive.
I don't know what is part of the driver's ed course now but i remember having to know the alcohol % in beer, booze and wine as well as what was considered drunk and what was not along with knowing how many drinks a person (in a weight class) could consume and not be considered drunk and still be allowed to drive. We were also taught in driver's ed that you could have your drinks at the bar and have one for the road and if you lived close enough you could make it home before the alcohol was actually in your system to put you over the limit.
so, take that w/ some salt, a shot and a lime. is it ok to drink and drive, to some it is. to some they don't know any better, do I recommend it, NO but the law is the law and you are allowed to drink then drive provided you stay under the "State" (National Funding) Guidelines of .08
Dave D.
8:28 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
Just wonder if it was acropolis's kid that Doyle killed would the outcome be the same? Now if it was mine then I'm having a few drinks and running his butt over the day he gets out. Would be my 1st offence So I shouldn't get any jail time. Eye for an eye.
KC
11:20 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
In the good old days, before we were forced onto the reservations and before we surrendered our cities to the third world, the worst a drunk could do was pass out before he walked home. These DUI's are just another chapter of the nightmare that is suburbia. This is an unnatural lifestyle we lead - having to get behind the wheel of a car for every errand, every appointment, every social gathering. Until we go back to planning towns for pedestrians we will all suffer. Robert Moses be damned.
Andra Jodi Struening
9:09 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
Clamdigger. . . I believe you missed the boat on the point of those lessons. This rant is simply pathetic in every sense of the word.
clamdigger
10:26 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
No I don't believe I missed the point. The point is that drinking and driving is perfectly legal as long as you are under the current legal limit of .08 which was only changed so the state could keep receiving Federal funds. NJ had no intention of lowering the limit before the Fed gave that ultimatum. Do I believe drinking and driving is a good thing, NO I don’t.
Everyone sits and wonders why so many accidents happen w/ DWI and blame the drivers only, but if you drive past any bar the parking lots are usually jammed. If there was an interest in cracking down on DWI, why aren't there more ck points on a regular basis in areas with taverns? Everyone sees the commercials on TV about how Law Enforcement in cracking down but where are the local arrests? Think about the closest bar to your house, when was the last time you saw a DWI ck point in the area?
It's because taverns bring in huge local revenue and local gov't is not going to rock the boat. They leave it up to the patrons and if there is an accident it will be settled then regardless of the outcome. Even bars are better protected now from being sued from patrons who feel they were over served and caused an accident.
As for Drivers Ed, the law was taught. At the time an average male could consume 3 drinks in an hour and still be under the .10 limit (at that time), you were taught to know your limits.
DH
9:03 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Clamdigger, you are correct about the state and local governments role in this problem. Local Police departments, courts, etc, make a fortune off drunk driving arrests/convictions and all of the subsequent fines. The county jails get state funding when there are repeat offenders who are required to spend some time there - it keeps court dockets full . . . all of these are factors in why this is not outright illegal and a criminal offense. No different than the "war on drugs", which is nothing more than a containment effort designed to do nothing but maintain the fiscal status-quo.
It is also interesting to see how this person is facing all the standard charges and likely sentencing while the local-government crony walked away with a slap on the wrist. Why anyone would recognize this local government at ALL after such a blatant display of absolute corruption is beyond me - but I'm sure the polls will be jammed next election regardless. People get the government they deserve, after all.
At the end of the day - despite the courts being little more than strong-arm banks and the laws being designed to funnel money into the system -- there is still no excuse for a person, an individual with free-will, to choose to drink and drive. Like someone said earlier - it really is no different than shooting a gun into a crowd. This persons life is likely a nightmare right now. A nightmare that he freely chose to live in. Best wishes to the families involved here.
Get Real
9:51 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I fervently wish that all the other IDIOTS who think the way you do will be coming at you all at once at 100 miles an hour after they have their few drinks while you are driving in the opposite direction. It's just sad that it's always the innocent victim that pays the price for your MORONIC thinking instead of people like you.
DH
1:55 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
@ Get Real -- if that comment is directed at me, I think you have a comprehension problem. I clearly stated that I believe drunk driving should be a criminal offense - not a simple moving violation. The way the system is set up, it encourages repeat offenders . . . and seems designed to do so because it is lucrative to the police/courts/local governments.
The idea that they even take it seriously as a public safety issue is laughable when it can sometimes take up to a year for these matters to finally be resolved in court and the offender is allowed to drive during that entire time.
teddy
11:05 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
I was taught the same in drivers ed. Like how much you can drink if you weigh a certain amount, etc. But the problem is that is so outdated with science. Now we know that people who are long term alcoholics require far more liquor to hit those BAC limits than someone who rarely drinks because it is tied to how the individuals body digests and processes alcohol. In any event, no matter how much a person drinks, I truly believe that it is the false attitude that some get where they think they are sober enough to drive. That is where the education needs to.come in. People need to be taught that they may feel fine, but their response time and driving ability may be compromised. And you will still always have those morons who know they've had too many and think things like 'well, I'm just going three blocks.' ...and will still drive even though they know they are drunk.
Bowie Thelonius
7:53 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
teddy, I believe the BAC isn't affected by alcohol tolerance, just the ability to get the buzzed feeling. BAC would still be governed by body weight, time, and amount of alcohol consumed. Like Clamdigger I also remember being taught how to stay "legal" while drinking.
green
11:33 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
What ever happened to Anthony DiGilio who drunkenly killed all of those people on the Metedeconk River back in 2008?
ChristiMichelle
1:22 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
It's a sad situation all around. People make dumb mistakes that can ruin their lives and the lives of others. I was in high school with "pat" not "Paul" he wasn't a bad kid. People get misdirected in life and this women had to suffer the consequences. I just feel sick about the entire thing.
sargenthartman
6:52 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Digilio, the short dck powet boat driving murderer who had the need for speed. Hope hes rotting
clamdigger
8:43 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
in the news recently here's a link;
http://brick.patch.com/articles/trial-upcoming-for-alleged-hit-run-boater
Revolution
6:54 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
steal a pack of bubblegum and you go to jail for 20 years.
this justice system is a joke
Truth
9:34 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Dr. Jane Claire Eager was a dear friend and a former colleague of mine. She dedicated her life to teaching children in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She was the epitome of class, grace, integrity, and poise. She was enjoying her retirement years with her beloved cat and her cherished friends. My heart is broken by this loss and this tragedy. It is just unconscionable that someone would be foolish and irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel of a car under the influence of alcohol or drugs knowing the inevitable consequences.
It is too late for Jane, but I hope Lady Justice will ensure that such an egregious act of carelessness and disregard for human life will not take another life so tragically. Are we going to accept living in a society where we can't even take a short trip to church or to the market without subjecting ourselves to a death sentence when we get behind the wheel of our car?
Every decent citizen and human being in New Jersey and around this country with a heart, a brain , and a conscience needs to stand up and shout, "Enough is enough!"
Do not let my friend's death be in vain. Let's make sure our justice system gets these reckless, selfish, inconsiderate drivers off the road and in jail where they belong.
Don't wait until this happens to you or your loved ones!
Louis Aquino
WMS826
9:36 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
So where are all the spineless liberals telling us he is a good man and to pray for him.
Please..he looks like a drug user more than alcohol...DWI would be the same charge regardless if it is alcohol or drugs...which one was it Patch
Bob
12:42 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
my thoughts exactly. He definatly looks lkike a herion user if I was to guess
TEE
10:05 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Texting, and drinking not acceptable period, 2 words will make a difference... Death penalty!
HELP..
11:18 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The sad thing about this and others caused by drunken drivers is that innocent people lost there life's due to a drunken driver who just didn't make the right decision and didn't CARE ..
Mrgrumpass
12:49 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
There is all this talk about gun control, what would happen if a drunk was traveling around waving a loaded gun shot someone? I consider drunk driving in this same category we all drive 3000Lb bullets, all DUI’s should be felonies, and if someone is injured or killed the charges should always be manslaughter! Multiple DUI’s send this murdering mutt to Trenton State!
Bob
12:57 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
I always am dismayed when we have drunk driving accident like this and it turns to a debate over Pattie Doyle. No one here has all the facts with the exception of those in the Briffa family. To compare the two is an injustice to both victims. Both victims were great people in their own right and should be remembered that way.
Dave D.
2:33 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
So Bob are you saying the Briffa family got justice? I don't think so. I think he had friends in the right place's that pulled alot of strings. I hope the pot smoking drunk gets raped and beat everyday he's in jail. Whats to compare anyway, both were drunk behind the wheel and killed someone. Pat had no reason to be on the wrong side of the road or driving for that matter.
Bob
3:09 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Never said they got justice just don't care for comparisions, they are not fair to either family. BTW, I don't think they got any justice, but that should not hamper the prosection of this case.
clamdigger
4:34 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
we do have something called due process and every accident is it's own case w/ it's set of circumstances. Are there precedents set from prior cases, I'm sure there are but to what level are they applied, that's up to the judge and lawyers.
Unfortunately another life was taken because alcohol was involved but it still has not been published what the blood test revealed regarding his BAC level. Do I believe alcohol is bad, NO I don't and I don't drink, I did in the past but I'm not a recovering alcoholic or anything, I just don't drink anymore.
The people who are most affected by the law and the legal limit are those people who are civic minded, responsible people. People who are afraid to have a drink w/ dinner if they go to a restaurant, would like to have a relaxing cocktail before dinner and possibly an after dinner drink but weigh the pro's and con's and decide against it. Why, because they do not want to become a "boarder line" driver after only 2 drinks and yes 2 glasses of wine w/ a meal will put a (average) person right on the line of .08 but drive past any bar past 5pm and you will see cars sitting in parking lots for several hours and come closing time "Poof" they disperse w/out a care in the world.
Next week there is a festival in Point called "Beers on the Boards" how many people will leave (drive from) there after an afternoon of "sampling" beer? Will there be any ck points...anywhere?
http://www.pointpleasantbeachfestivals.com/beers-on-the-boards/
BOB V
1:04 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
there are so many laws and "speed" limits, but if the are no police enforcing them,what good are they? There SHOULD be more checkpoints between 11pm and 3am near local watering holes. Not that this would have helped with a drunken loser on the road at 3pm. People keep insisting on a lower speed limit on Jordan, but if the are no radar traps, what good is it?
Rebecca
2:01 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Sorry it's not an accident when this happens. It wasn't just a poor choice. This guy drank got behind the wheel and killed someone. Him and Doyle should go away forever. We don't need people like this out in society. It's really not that hard to call a cab or a friend.
WMS826
5:44 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Oh Yea...why don't we just legalize the stuff anyway....
mary mcelroy
11:19 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
I have seen many checkpoints on Rt 88 by Shore House and Idle Hour but the coos can't be there at all hours
It does in the end come down to personal responsibility and making good choices
Vic Rattlehead
10:18 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
We all debate the drinking and driving. I do not condone Drink and driving and grieve for anyone who is a victim of a violent crime. KC- remember when drinking and driving at the same time was legal, no open container laws. 18 was the legal limit. Imagine if we randomly pulled 1000 drivers blood, what would we find. Remember all those prescription bottles say "this medication impairs ability to drive, avoid operating a motor vehicle". Now Marijuana is legal, "Medically" speaking, so there are no laws in place addressing the legal stuff that I know of. How many drivers you see on the phone, IMPAIRED. How many people you see with a phone in one hand and a ciggerette in the other-IMPAIRED. The only thing that will correct these problems are people making responsible decsions and our Society as a whole are lacking greatly. Just a thought. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE, DON'T USE YOUR PHONE AND DRIVE, DON'T TAKE YOUR RX PAIN PILLS AND NERVE PILLS AND DRIVE. DON'T MULTI TASK AND DRIVE,.....JUST DRIVE.
TJ
5:19 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I'd like to know where the piece of scum who killed this poor woman came up $100,000 dollars to bail his worthless ass out of jail. I hope they rot in Hell with him.
DanR
5:52 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Not that I know, but he probably lives with his parents, and it's a lean on the equity in the house
Steve Roland
9:52 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
I'm pretty sure he just got his license back last summer for dwi.
To the point
12:35 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
I don't think he lost it for dwi. Pretty sure it was under influence of drugs. Although he had an ignition lock on his car
To the point
10:04 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
This guy is going on with his pathetic life as if nothing happened.