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Posted by: kwflatbed

Milton firefighter struck by a truck while aiding victims in a car accident


MILTON, Mass. -- A firefighter trying to help an accident victim becomes a victim when he's struck in the street.
He is now fighting for his life in the hospital.
Firefighter Antonio Pickens, 44, went to assist one of the drivers involved in a two car accident across from the Milton Fire Engine Company 4 Saturday night.
A black Buick LeSabre heading north towards Boston drove by and struck Pickens in front of numerous firefighters. Once hit, Pickens went over the vehicle and landed in the center lane of Blue Hill Avenue. He suffered massive trauma to his body and head.
Fallon Paramedics transported Pickens to Beth Israel Trauma Center in Boston. Currently, he is in critical condition.
On Sunday, Milton Police officers arrested CW Tolbert, 46, of Stoughton, and charged him with third offense operating under the influence, operating under the influence of liquor and causing serious bodily injury, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.
He is being held on $5,000 cash bail and will be arraigned Monday, July 2 at the Quincy District Court.

http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO56285/

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Posted by: Sniper

Atrocious.........

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Helpful firefighter in critical condition

By Diana Schoberg, The Patriot Ledger
MILTON — For his friends and colleagues, firefighter Antonio Pickens' efforts to help victims of an auto accident just outside the fire station comes as no surprise.

“It's not out of character for him,” said Nancy Monroe, a Milton firefighter and longtime colleague who attended fire training academy with Pickens. “He'd be the first person running out to help.”

But the good Samaritan efforts of this “all-around good guy” put him in the hospital with critical injuries.

Pickens, 44, of Brockton, was struck at about 11 p.m. Saturday by a car driven by an alleged drunken driver while he was assisting a motorist who moments before had been in an accident just outside the fire station on Blue Hill Avenue and Atherton Street. The impact sent Pickens flying across the intersection.

He was in critical condition this morning at Beth Israel Trauma Center in Boston with massive injuries to his body and head.

The driver who hit Pickens, CW Tolbert, 46, of Stoughton, was to be arraigned this morning in Quincy District Court on charges of a third offense of drunken driving, drunken driving causing serious bodily injury, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, according to a statement by Milton police.

According to police, a car rear-ended another one that was heading north on Blue Hill Avenue at the intersection with Atherton Street. Pickens went to the scene, only steps away from the fire station where he was on duty, to help. A lieutenant and another firefighter got the fire engine ready to go.

The intersection is the site of frequent accidents, fire and police officials said, and this is how incidents there are often handled. The fire truck, with its lights and sirens, is pulled out to protect firefighters, Deputy Chief Brian Linehan said.

Full Story: http://www.southofboston.com/article...ews/news08.txt

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Driver charged in accident that injured firefighter


MILTON, Mass. -- A Stoughton man pleaded not guilty Monday to drunken driving charges for allegedly hitting and critically injuring a Milton firefighter.
John "C.W." Tolbert, 46, was arrested late Saturday after he struck Antonio Pickens, 44, as the firefighter walked across Blue Hill Avenue to help with a minor car accident near the fire station. Pickens was listed in critical condition Monday at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston after receiving injuries to his head and body.
Police said it was Tolbert's third drunken driving offense. Tolbert was ordered held on $7,500 cash bail following his arraignment in Quincy District Court.
Pickens, a father of two, has been a Milton firefighter since 1995. Two firefighters who were walking with Pickens said they saw him get hit and tumble over the car, landing in the center lane of the road.
Tolbert was charged with drunken driving, causing serious bodily injury and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. He faces a mandatory minimum of six months in prison if convicted on his third drunken driving charge and a maximum of 10 years on the three charges in the accident.
He is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on July 20.

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO56285/

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Hurt firefighter listed as critical

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff | July 3, 2007

C.W. Tolbert Jr. had two drunken driving convictions on his record.
According to Massachusetts' tough new drunken driving laws, that should have meant he was allowed to drive only cars equipped with a device that wouldn't let them start when he'd been drinking.
But the requirement never affected Tolbert. And the car he was driving Saturday night, when he allegedly hit 44-year-old Antonio Pickens, a Milton firefighter, had no such device.
Officials said yesterday that a paperwork problem was the reason.
"We learned [yesterday] that there was an outstanding conviction that had never been sent to the Registry" of Motor Vehicles, the state agency that is responsible for administering the law, said Ann Dufresne, spokeswoman for the Registry.
Dufresne said South Boston Municipal Court failed to send records detailing a 2004 drunken driving conviction against Tolbert that would have invoked tough penalties under Melanie's Law.
If the court had sent the information, she said, the Registry would have required Tolbert to drive a car equipped with a device that will only let the car start when the driver breathes into a tube and registers a legal blood alcohol level. The restriction would have been in force from August 2006 through August 2008, she said.

Full Story: http://www.boston.com/news/local/art...river_on_road/

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Blood drive set as firefighter fights for life; Alleged drunken driver slams into him


By L.E. CAMPENELLA
The Patriot Ledger

MILTON - Milton firefighters are organizing a blood drive and working through a tragedy that has one of their own fighting for life in a Boston hospital.

Starting Saturday, Milton firefighters and all others who want to help can donate blood at the American Red Cross in Dedham to help colleague Antonio Pickens, who has been in Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital fighting for his life after an alleged three-time drunken driver slammed into him at an accident scene last week.

Pickens suffered a nearly severed right arm that was reattached, two broken legs and a crushed chest during the crash late last Saturday night.

C.W. Tolbert, 46, of Stoughton, who is charged with plowing down Pickens, remains in jail as his family struggles to come up with $7,500 for bail that would allow him out to donate a kidney to a sick brother.

‘‘It’s a tragedy for everyone, you can’t forgive him for what he did, but it’s a tragedy,’’ Milton Fire Chief Malcolm Larson said. ‘‘You don’t realize how many people something like this touches until you are a part of it.’’

Larson said the department has received calls of support from fellow chiefs and firefighters from around the South Shore.

‘‘Everybody wants to do something but they don’t know what,’’ Larson said. ‘‘The blood drive is a way they can help.’’

A fund has also been set up to help the Pickens family with bills.

Pickens, 44, a 12-year-veteran of the Milton department was struck by a car driven by Tolbert, a medical device assembler.

Tolbert pleaded innocent to charges of third-offense drunken driving, and negligent drunken driving causing serious bodily injury.

Pickens, who lives in Brockton, has a teenage son and daughter. Tolbert has four children, including two adult children, an 11-year-old and a 3-year-old.

Until the accident, Tolbert’s family said he was scheduled to donate a kidney to an ailing brother.
Larson said he attended a hearing earlier in the week when Tolbert’s lawyer asked for bail to be reduced to $1,000 instead of $7,500 that was set during his arraignment in Quincy District Court on Monday.

The request was denied and Tolbert is still in jail at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office Correctional Facility.

The accident took place last Saturday night at about 11 p.m. after a minor fender-bender across the street from the headquarters of Engine 4 at the intersection of Atherton Street and Blue Hill Avenue (Route 13.

The four-way intersection has been the scene of many accidents, and like countless firefighters before him, Pickens walked across the street to help.

Firefighters said there was very little room on the roadside and as they aided a woman.

Witnesses said Pickens was thrown more than 70 feet.

Lt. John ‘‘Jack’’ Grant, head of the department’s union and spokesman for the family, said Pickens’ condition is ‘‘touch and go.’’

He said a neurological report indicates damage to the rear of Pickens’ brain, but that information is contradicted by eye movements and strong, positive reactions to medical procedures.

Grant said Pickens is not in a coma, but he is not conscious either.

‘‘He’s fighting. We won’t really know for a few days,’’ Grant said. ‘‘The family is grasping to any good news.’’

The family has asked for privacy and Grant is fielding calls from the media.

Milton firefighters are visiting in shifts and have a signup sheet at headquarters. Initially members were there around the clock, but now are staying until 8 p.m. when visiting hours end.

How to help firefighter who was injured

—WHAT: Red Cross blood drive to aid injured Milton firefighter Antonio Pickens

—WHERE: Red Cross headquarters, 180 Rustcraft Road, Dedham

—WHEN: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Saturday

—DONATIONS: Send checks payable to Antonio Pickens, c/o Milton Firefighters Local 1116, 515 Canton Ave., Milton 02186

http://ledger.southofboston.com/arti...ews/news09.txt

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Leaves hospital after nearly losing life (video in story)



Milton firefighter Kevin Finerty and son Connor, 10, greet
Tony Pickens as he goes home after about three months
in Kindred Rehabilitation Hospital. Finerty was one of the
firefighters who helped Pickens on the night he was injured.
(LISA BUL/The Patriot Ledger)



By L.E. CAMPENELLA
The Patriot Ledger


Injured Milton firefighter Antonio Pickens did something Friday that many once thought would be impossible. He went home, and in time for Christmas.

Pickens, in a wheelchair and covered head to toe in Dallas Cowboys gear, was hugged and cheered by more than 30 members of the Milton Fire Department and medical staff at Kindred Rehabilitation Hospital in Braintree during a sendoff party, as he prepared to go home.

There were lots of jokes, a few awkward silences and tears that were brushed away quickly.

‘‘It’s a miracle; it’s simply a miracle,’’ said firefighter Joseph Garrity.

Pickens’ wife, Marilyn, said words could not express how happy she was to have her husband back at their home in Brockton.

‘‘That’s what he wanted,’’ she said. ‘‘He wanted to go home.’’

Pickens said he planned to hug his two teenage children as soon as he got home.

‘‘I miss my kids,’’ he said.

Pickens was at Kindred Hospital for more than two months.

When he was transferred there from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, he was on life support.

Denise Montville, a respiratory nurse who has cared for Pickens, said there is no other way to describe Pickens’ recovery other than as a miracle.

‘‘We don’t have a lot of patients who go home,’’ Montville said. ‘‘He always had that idea that ‘I’m going to get better.’’’
Pickens is now able to talk, although slowly and quietly and shake hands with his left arm; and with help he can stand for short stints on his own two legs.

He told reporters that he wants to get well enough to go back to work.

Montville said she believes he will eventually be back doing the job he loves.

‘‘I believe he can do it,’’ Montville said. ‘‘It will take time, but he can do it.’’

Firefighters union head Jack Grant gave Pickens a six-pack of Heineken beer with silver and blue bows - Dallas Cowboys colors.

‘‘He told me a few times he wanted to have a beer,’’ Grant said. ‘‘Today we can let the Cowboys slide, but if the Patriots meet Dallas in the Super Bowl, it’ll be Tony against the world that day.’’

In some ways, it has been Tony against the world, or at least against all odds.

Since July, Pickens has been fighting for his life after an alleged three-time drunken driver slammed into him as he helped motorists on Route 138 who had been in a minor accident.

He was thrown more than 100 feet. Both legs were broken. His right arm was nearly severed and an artery in his left leg was sliced, causing massive blood loss.

Doctors gave him little chance of having a normal life and recommended that Pickens be taken off life support.

His wife, Marilyn, refused to give up hope.

She said that since the accident she has become an amateur nurse, learning from doctors and nurses, and searching the Internet for information.

She said Pickens will likely have a nurse at the house around the clock and that the rigorous therapies that have brought him this far, will continue.

Union head Grant said that a few weeks after being moved to Kindred, Pickens took a turn for the better.

At first, Grant said, Pickens’ eyes were open, but they were not focused on what was going on around him.

It was in August, when two firefighters were killed in a West Newton blaze, that things changed.

‘‘You could see it in his eyes,’’ Grant said. ‘‘They were focused. He knew what was going on.’’

Video: http://ledger.southofboston.com/arti...ews/news11.txt

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Posted by: OCKS

Good luck and God bless on his long road to recovery.

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Posted by: KozmoKramer

Mr. Tolbert has just reaffirmed his inability to live within the confines of our civilization, as has any multiple DUI offender.
Mr. Tolbert and his ilk need to be put away for several thousand days when they kill or maim; 7,300 sounds like a good number to me in this case.


It's always the way; the good guy or gal is buried or in this case, lose 3 months of their life convalescing while the crumb walks away.
6 Months to 10 years, please dont insult us... COME ON JUDGE, DO THE RIGHT THING!

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Posted by: radio2526

regardless of the credit he recieves, boston pd, along with all whom know of him, realize he is the true definition of a hero. stay stong FF Pickens , PD and FD communities pray for you sir.

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Posted by: Hb13

Good Luck and God Bless along your road to recovery.

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Posted by: JMB1977

Pray for a strong recovery

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Drunken Driver Apologizes To Victim's Family

Firefighter Struck In Milton


Video: Drunken Driver Apologizes To Victim's Family

BOSTON -- A father of four admitted he was driving drunk when he struck a Milton firefighter.

NewsCenter 5's Pam Cross reported that it was not the first time C.W. Tolbert faced such charges.
"And I hope you and your family someday can find deep in your hearts a way to forgive me," Tolbert wrote in a letter read in court.

His letter apologized to the victim, Antonio Pickens, who is recovering from surgery he had just days ago -- one of many operations.

Pickens is a Milton firefighter who crossed the street from his firehouse last June to help out in a minor auto accident. Tolbert was driving up Route 138 and struck him. The firefighter's body was tossed 84 feet in the air. In a coma for weeks, he was not expected to survive.

"The pain he has caused has been trying and unbearable at times," Pickens' sister, Robin Hayes, said.

In court, the victim's sister said Tolbert's actions hurt Pickens, his wife, their two teenagers and countless others. After Tolbert's guilty plea, the judge gave a sentence the two sides worked out: three years in the house of correction, followed by five years probation.

It is Tolbert's third drunken driving offense. He has already been in custody for about a year.

"This is his third offense. Who knows how many other times he's gotten behind the wheel and driven drunk? And something more needs to be done," Hayes said. "Maybe that someone will read this and understand that maybe I should think twice about this, because my brother's life is forever changed."

Pickens has repeatedly vowed he will return to work.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news...74/detail.html

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Posted by: rg1283

How about Life in Prison for a Third Offense!

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Judge resists push for prison for drunk driver


By John R. Ellement

Globe Staff / June 11, 2008

DEDHAM - Despite a tearful plea from the sister of a Milton firefighter nearly killed last year, a Superior Court judge refused yesterday to sentence a repeat drunk driver to state prison, saying the crime was an act of carelessness, not violence.Judge Janet Sanders spoke from the bench as she sentenced C.W. Tolbert Jr. to a total of three years at the Norfolk County House of Correction, followed by five years of probation. Tolbert will be credited for the 347 days he awaited trial.
Tolbert admitted yesterday in Norfolk Superior Court that he was drunk on June 30 last year when he drove into Milton Firefighter Antonio Pickens as Pickens tried to help car crash victims on Route 138. Pickens, 44, had no pulse for 25 minutes, was in a coma for months, and still faces years of surgery and therapy.
Pickens's sister, Robin Hayes, urged the judge to send the 47-year-old Stoughton man, who had two prior drunken driving convictions, to state prison to send a message to anyone who drinks and drives.
People sentenced to county houses of correction are usually less violent and are given more access to state rehabilitation programs; they often remain closer to home and their loved ones. Those sent to state prisons are generally considered to be more violent, typically spend a longer time incarderated, and can be sent anywhere in the state to serve their sentences.
The judge said she did not believe Tolbert's personal and criminal history justified such a severe sanction. Tolbert's two drunk driving convictions were his only crimes during the last 20 years, she said.
"We do have the two OUIs . . . but state prison, I think, is for repeat violent offenders, and Mr. Tolbert is not that," the judge said. "This is not so much an intentional and willful act as it was an act of thoughtlessness and carelessness. . . . It was certainly serious, but not the kind of crime that warrants a state prison sentence."
Norfolk District Attorney William R. Keating's office had sought a seven-year prison sentence.
"I think if the sentences were longer, then people would probably think twice about getting behind the wheel," Hayes said outside the courthouse following the sentence. "This is his third offense. Who knows how many other times he has gotten behind the wheel and driven drunk? My brother's life is forever changed."
According to Assistant Norfolk District Attorney Gregory Connor, Pickens was working his shift along with two other firefighters in Milton at the Engine 4 firehouse on Route 138 when two cars collided in front of the station around 10 p.m.
Pickens alerted colleagues and was crossing the two-lane road toward the cars when he was struck by Tolbert, who was driving a Buick LeSabre. A State Police reconstruction team concluded that Pickens flew 84 feet through the air and that Tolbert was driving 40 in a 35-mile-per-hour zone. The judge also said that it was dark and that Tolbert had a green light.
Tolbert should not have been driving following his second OUI conviction in South Boston Municipal Court, but held a valid license at the time of the crash because of miscommunication between state agencies. The Registry of Motor Vehicles was never notified about Tolbert's second OUI conviction, officials said last year.
The registrar of motor vehicles, Rachel Kaprielian, said yesterday that she is setting up a commission with Registry staff members and court officials to close the communication gap that allows an unknown number of repeat drunk drivers to wrongly get licenses.
"I assure you, there will be action," she said in a telephone interview. "We are just not getting information from the court in enough time. This reflects on all agencies, and the court [system] is not exempt from that. I anticipate strong cooperation from them."
In a letter read in court by his lawyer, Robert M. Tutino, Tolbert apologized to Pickens, with whom he had friends in common.
"I hope that you get better and soon, so that you can go back to doing what you love," he wrote. "I hope you and your family some day can find deep in your hearts a way to forgive me. I pray every night for your speedy recovery, and God has answered our prayers."
According to Pickens's sister and Connor, the firefighter lost 80 percent of his blood at the scene before he was rushed to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he lapsed into a coma.
Pickens, of Brockton, suffered massive fractures of his legs and nearly lost his right arm in the crash. He is at home and, despite his continuing medical challenges, is determined to resume his career as a firefighter.
"My brother is very resilient," Hayes said. "He is so strong. He fights every day. It's only a matter of time."


http://www.boston.com/news/local/art..._drunk_driver/

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Posted by: rg1283

Stupid liberal judge! It would be one thing if maybe this was his first time, but it is his THIRD time. 3 things I can't stand. 1. Skinners, 2. Drunk Drivers, 3. People who don't wear their seat belts and pass the bill on to us.

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Posted by: adroitcuffs

Quote:

Despite a tearful plea from the sister of a Milton firefighter nearly killed last year, a Superior Court judge refused yesterday to sentence a repeat drunk driver to state prison, saying the crime was an act of carelessness, not violence.

An "act of carelessness" that resulted in violent consequences!!

Quote:

People sentenced to county houses of correction are usually less violent and are given more access to state rehabilitation programs; they often remain closer to home and their loved ones. Those sent to state prisons are generally considered to be more violent, typically spend a longer time incarcerated, and can be sent anywhere in the state to serve their sentences.

How nice that the comfort of the criminal is seen as so important. Wake up, Judge! If Tolbert was so concerned about his loved ones, he wouldn't be driving under the influence.

Quote:

The judge said she did not believe Tolbert's personal and criminal history justified such a severe sanction. Tolbert's two drunk driving convictions were his only crimes during the last 20 years, she said. "We do have the two OUIs . . . but state prison, I think, is for repeat violent offenders, and Mr. Tolbert is not that," the judge said. "This is not so much an intentional and willful act as it was an act of thoughtlessness and carelessness. . . . It was certainly serious, but not the kind of crime that warrants a state prison sentence." Norfolk District Attorney William R. Keating's office had sought a seven-year prison sentence.

Hello, Judge? I don't know what law school you went to, but even in the lay community, "repeat" means to do something again. Tolbert had TWO previous OUI convictions (and who knows how many other undiscovered violations), and was driving on a suspended license at the time of his THIRD OUI, so he should have been acutely aware of the potential consequences of continuing his behavior.

Not an intentional, willful act? Did the beer fairy visit Tolbert while he was driving down the road, miraculously introducing alcohol into Tolbert's bloodstream?? Did Scotty beam an intoxicated Tolbert into the driver's seat of a motor vehicle?

Not a violent act? How else would you describe striking a human body with at least 3,000 pounds of metal at a rate of speed significant enough to thrust the human body nearly 100 feet into the air? Was the velocity of Pickens' body slamming into the pavement after the vehicle impact not violent? Let's have Tolbert go through the same coma, multiple injuries, multiple surgeries, intensive physical rehabilitation and constant pain. That would be far more "fair and reasonable" than the ridiculous sentence you've handed down!

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Special pension for injured Milton firefighter approved


By Fred Hanson
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Oct 21, 2008 @ 07:15 AM
Last update Oct 21, 2008 @ 07:23 AM

MILTON —
Town meeting has approved a special disability pension for a Milton firefighter gravely injured while on duty.
Under the proposal, which now goes to the state Legislature for approval, Firefighter Antonio Pickens of Brockton will receive a tax-free disability pension equal to his full base pay. The special pension will continue until Pickens is eligible for regular retirement.
Selectmen Chairwoman Kathryn Fagan said Pickens has “made the difficult decision he will not be returning to active duty on the fire department.
“It will allow him to retire with honor. It will allow his family not to have to pay the penalty for his early retirement.”
The pension will be paid from the town’s retirement funds. It will also allow the town to hire a firefighter to fill Pickens’ job
On June 30, 2007, the 12-year veteran of the department was struck by a car driven by a twice-convicted drunken driver. Pickens was on foot, responding to a minor accident at Blue Hill Avenue and Atherton Street, across from the fire station.
Earlier this year, the driver of the car that struck Pickens, C.W. Tolbert of Stoughton, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the accident and was sentenced to three years in jail.
On Monday night, town meeting also approved borrowing up to $240,000 to pay Pickens’ medical expenses for the current year.
Legislation that allowed the town to borrow the money was signed into law Monday afternoon by Gov. Deval Patrick, after being approved in both branches of the state Legislature in the last week.
On behalf of Pickens, Fire Chief Malcolm Larson thanked everyone involved “for their unwavering support for Antonio through this entire process.”
Borrowing the money for Pickens’ medical expenses freed up $130,000 in the current budget. Town meeting then used much of the money to give 2 percent raises to town department heads and other non-union workers, Town Clerk James Mullen, Town Treasurer Kevin Sorgi and library employees.
The warrant committee had argued against the pay increases, citing the poor economy and cloudy financial picturefor next budget year. Warrant committee Chairman J. Thomas Hurley said that while the raises are deserved, the committee questions the town’s ability to sustain the added spending. “It will just cause further pain if layoffs were to occur,” in the next budget year, Hurley said. The warrant committee overturned its recommendation against funding the library contract after finding out it would risk the library’s accreditation and state funding for the nearly completed library project. The raises will cost the town a total of $82,000.


http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x7...ghter-approved

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Posted by: Mass

Best of luck and speedy recovery.

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