Police said a man facing his third OWI offense after he allegedlycrashed his pickup truck into a Paddock Lake home killed two in a previous drunk driving accident in 2003.
Jeffrey Hinks, 58, was charged with two prior OWI offenses including a 2003 incident that killed two elderly women.
"That's what he was doing when he killed my mother and her friend," said Richard Fonk.
Fonk's mother Amy was driving home from some classes for the elderly on Halloween evening in 2003. She was dropping off a friend when Hinks blew through a stop sign, killing both of the women.
"It's like deja vu," Fonk said. "This guy is drunk again and instead of running into another car and killing someone, he runs into someone's house. I guess, the people in the house were lucky they weren't on that floor."
Police said Hinks has non-life threatening injuries and will be charged when he is released from the hospital.
Fonk said he has little faith in the justice system since Hinks was allowed to be back behind the wheel.
"It was really senseless," Fonk said of his mother's death. "He probably shouldn't have been out there drinking and driving."
Fonk makes note of Hinks' prior OWI offense just 13 days before his mother was killed. It was Hinks' first offense. He was sentenced to ten years for the two women he killed. He thinks it's proof the state is too lenient on drunk drivers.
"When are they going to put him away to the point he can't get behind the wheel anymore and do this?" Fonk said. "I just think the judges can't be so lenient letting these guys off and let them out on probation like they aren't going to drink anymore and drive. It just seems kind of silly that a judge would think that because they got stopped once for a ticket or whatever, they're going to quit drinking and driving."
Fonk was upset with Hinks' for what he did, but today isn't angry at him. He knows, Hinks' issue is greater than punishment.
"Alcoholism is a disease and if they're not cured, I don't know what makes these judges think they're not going to drive drunk again," Fonk said. "I'm disgusted with the system that lets these guys out and lets them back on the road."
