Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Driver 3X over Legal Limit Gets 7 Years for Killing Cecilia Harrop

According to the Courier Post, 40 year-old Daniel Stocklin pled guilty to vehicular homicide and was sentenced to 7 years a jail for killing tricyclist Cecilia Harrop, 39, in Brooklawn, NJ on July 7, 2010 (reported here). Stocklin’s blood-alcohol level was .246 at the time of the crash (the legal limit in NJ is .08.) The article notes that Stocklin was pulled over nearly a quarter mile away - technically a hit and run. The Judge has also suspended his license until 2020. Stocklin was also convicted of DUI in 1994.



View Bicyclists Crashes 2008-2010 NJ and SE PA in a larger map

2010 saw 4 area cyclists killed by drunk drivers
  • Four days after Ms. Harrop's death, 39 Year Old Manuel Albandoz was allegedly drunk, unlicensed, and driving a black Ford Taurus that did not belong to him when he fatally struck Celina Langan in the bike lane at Torresdale and Adams Avenues in East Frankford. This blog post suggest that Vehicular Homicide by DUI charges were dropped and bail was reduced. His attorney's quote was particularly disturbing.
  • On September 14, 2010, 44 year old Thomas McCoy was killed by a drunk driver on Route 47 in Deptford, NJ. On February 6th, Mary Dalton pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and must serve out 85% of her sentence in jail. Dalton's blood alcohol level measured .235 after her arrest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 16th and she could face up to 10 years in jail.
  • Paul Jones, the man who struck and killed Randall Bratu on Baltimore Pike in Upper Darby. On December 30th 2010, pled guilty and was sentenced for 3 to 6 years in prison plus 3 years probation and $15,000 in restitution. His blood alcohol level was reportedly .286 at the time of his arrest. Last month, the Bicycle Coalition sent a letter to the court in asking for sentence stronger than the 3 year minimum for the offender.

1 comments:

Jon Cornibe said...

1) Only 7 years for killing a person? That's disgusting.

2) Why is Mr. Stocklin able to drive again in 2020? Given that he will be in prison for 7 of the 8 years, that's hardly a restriction. A reasonable punishment would be to revoke his license for life. If someone drives while that in intoxicated and kills another person in the process, they have clearly demonstrated they do not have the judgment required to operate a vehicle. Driving is not some natural born right. Mr. Stocklin could instead use public transportation, or better yet, ride a bike to get around.