Posted on 07/28/2009 7:38:24 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Vehicle homicide trial awaits fourth
(snip)
But according to the four defendants’ statements to police, they decided to continue partying. After driving to Vokey’s house, where Baldwin picked up nearly a case of beer, the four headed to Nahant Beach. At the beach, Vokey’s girlfriend arrived and picked him up, leaving Baldwin, Palomba, and Caruso with the beer.
According to their statements, Baldwin and Palomba each consumed about five beers, and Caruso drank as many as six. The three were at the beach for about two hours. When they got into Caruso’s car, Baldwin asked Caruso if he was “good.’’ Caruso responded, “Ya.’’
Moments later, police said, Caruso hit Carol Marean, who had been walking her dog with her daughter, Charlotte, 41, near Essex and Grove streets in Saugus. Marean was killed, and her daughter has since recovered from critical injuries.
Caruso told authorities at the scene that he had been drinking and that he had probably fallen asleep at the wheel.
According to statements Baldwin made to police, which were entered into court records, Caruso looked up immediately after the accident and said, “What happened, not a problem.’’ Baldwin said he told Caruso he had just hit two people and Caruso responded, “No way, really?’’
Caruso took a breath test and registered a blood alcohol content of 0.02, according to the police report. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 for drivers 21 and older. The limit for those under 21 is 0.02 percent.
Vokey was charged with delivering liquor to a person under 21. Baldwin was charged with possession of alcohol and furnishing alcohol to a person under 21. Palomba was charged with possession of alcohol by a person under 21.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
So much for the "alcohol free" prom; the kids go out on their own afterwards and tragedy results.
So these kids have probably been up for 24 hours straight, at LEAST (school, later on the prom, etc.; the idea is at 4 am parents pick them up, but these kids couldn't resist getting blitzed at the beach and yeah, the 18 yr old is fine to drive after six beers and being up for that long.
The quality of journalism in this piece is abysmal!
They say they picked up “nearly a case?” What constitutes a case? A 12 pack? They go on to say that 11 beers were consumed. So did they pick up an 11-pack? Were these 8 oz. beers? 16 oz? The journalist should be fired for awful use of the English language.
Besides that, this article is just downright sad. Paradoxically, I think we should lower the drinking age to 18, reducing the allure. When you tell kids they can’t drink, they’re going to find a way to do it!
I had a fake ID for my first few years of college, and it got me 6 packs of PBR from the convenience store in Nowheresville, but once I turned 21, the allure was gone. Drinking was just another social acitivity. These kids have no idea how alcohol affects them; they just believe they’re invincible.
more from Lynn (MA) Item
http://itemlive.com/articles/2009/07/28/news/news03.txt
I guess they were headed to a Dunkin Donuts in Saugus. Yeah, if the kid’s drowsy I suppose a nice coffee would wake him
up. Trouble is, he fell asleep before they could get there
and a woman is dead as a result.
I think a Lynn Item story says it was a case of 30, “minus four beers”. I’m guessing 12 oz cans but who knows.
>>The quality of journalism in this piece is abysmal!
Boston Globe! Still publishing! Amazing but true!
>>When you tell kids they can’t drink, they’re going to find a way to do it!
Indeed
>>they just believe they’re invincible.
“It will never happen to me”. They’ll have that drill at the high school where they tow a car which had been in a drunk driving accident and have some kids act out a bit of a play about what happens when you drive drunk. And the kids will watch this and go, yeah, but I can handle a few beers and drive fine.
It will never happen to me.
The Swimmer, however, continues to be considered a Pillar of the Community.
from the Lynn Item article linked above. (I grew up in
Nahant btw)
>>According to court papers, Baldwin showed up at Vokey’s house somewhere between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. where he grabbed a 30-pack of Bud Light, minus four cans, from a refrigerator in Vokey’s room. Reports indicate Baldwin invited Vokey to join him, Palomba and Caruso at a Nahant beach and Vokey tagged along.
>>Roughly 10 minutes after arriving at 40 Steps Beach in Nahant, however, Vokey’s girlfriend, who had been texting him via Baldwin’s phone, picked Vokey up and the pair returned home.
>>Caruso, Baldwin and Palomba followed shortly thereafter, heading to a Saugus Dunkin’ Donuts, when Caruso allegedly told police he fell asleep at the wheel.
and indeed still gets laudatory write ups in both the Globe and the Herald
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