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Jack Tobin, Son Of Brian Tobin, Warns About 'Nightmare' Of Drunk Driving

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First Posted: 08/05/11 01:04 PM ET Updated: 10/05/11 06:12 AM ET

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OTTAWA - A sombre Jack Tobin warned others today about the "nightmare" of drunk driving as he apologized again to the family of a close friend he accidentally killed.

"I truly wish I had been the only victim of my actions that night and not Alex," the son of former Newfoundland premier Brian Tobin told his sentencing hearing.

"If there's any good to come from this very, very dark cloud, I hope that it will be this message to others: the consequences of drinking and driving are deadly, they are real, they are enduring — a nightmare from which you never wake up."

Tobin pleaded guilty in May to impaired driving causing death after Alex Zolpis was pinned under a pickup truck during parking-lot shenanigans on Christmas Eve.

Tobin addressed Zolpis' family by name, saying "how truly sorry and utterly ashamed I am for the unforgivable mistakes I made."
He is to be sentenced Aug. 31.

On Thursday, Zolpis' family described the anguish they felt over the death of Alex."

Susan Morgan, Zolpis' mother and a pediatrician described how seeing children at work daily has been tough after her son's death. Their youthful faces make "every day at work ... a struggle in grief," she said.

She condemned drinking and driving, adding "we will never be the same."

Prosecutors are seeking a five-year prison sentence and a 10-year driving ban while the defence has suggested a sentence of between 18 and 30 months.

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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
judi9694
29 Fans
 
04:49 PM on 08/07/2011
I am deeply sorry for the family's loss. Such tragedies could be prevented. I agree, there should be a drunk riding system available to drinkers. Then if you drink and drive and do irreparable damage, you have no excuse. If you don't want people to drink, stop selling booze! I mean really, what do you think, people, there are bars and nightclubs every where. People drink, they drive intoxicated. Do you really think they drink and sober up before driving? Stop selling booze. Make it illegal or get a transportation system in place for drinkers.
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ABACADABRA RABBIT
VOTE GREEN PARTY 2012
522 Fans
04:02 AM on 08/07/2011
Maybe the police could start a cab service..
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techsupport
48 Fans
11:23 AM on 08/06/2011
Sadly, at this age, participants in "drinking and driving" possess that immortal mindset and think this won't happen to them. Maybe the "other" guy, but not them.
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quiscut
19 Fans
06:03 AM on 08/06/2011
Someone here wrote that Jack Tobin had displayed 'ample remorse' for the preventable death of Alex Kopis. What an ignorant comment to make. Jack Tobin is guilty of drunk driving and is responsible for the death of his friend ,Alex. No matter how much remorse is expressed he must pay for his actions and the unspeakable outcome of same. The limited incarceration and temporary loss of his driver's license are not enough but are the only punishments available . The ubiquitous sorrow and suffering of the family of Alex Kopis is exponentially more brutal than anything Tobin will face. The memories of Alex growing up and the potential for his lost future must cause such heartache for his family that one can only imagine their pain.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
cameron d
Don't blame me, I voted Smitherman.
722 Fans
 
12:51 AM on 08/06/2011
People are only motivated by incentives. If the laws against drunk driving were more strict (let's say you lose your drivers license) it might help curb drunk driving. Who am I kidding - it probably wouldn't.
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MJinCanada
Safe from zombies until my 2nd cup of coffee
1268 Fans
03:08 AM on 08/07/2011
Unfortunately, up to 75% of those who do lose their license continue to drive and many continue to drink and drive.
http://www.educationforthedrivingmasses.com/2011/02/suspected-disqualified-drivers-real.html

It might help if they also lost their privilege to buy alcohol or attend any public event where alcohol is served.
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db44
From My Perspective
90 Fans
01:56 PM on 08/05/2011
The consequences of the reckless life Tobin has been following have finally caught up with him. This was not an isloated incident and he should get jail time just as any other person would receive. db
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northstar11
mt
615 Fans
03:19 PM on 08/05/2011
not an isolated incident ----can you document that ----?

most likely the difference between you,the rest of us and him is luck
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db44
From My Perspective
90 Fans
04:06 PM on 08/05/2011
This is from the Ottawa Citizen: "Before the night when everything went horribly wrong last Christmas, there were 18 convictions for driving offences; 11 of them speeding, including being clocked at 145 km/h in a 100-km/h zone. “Atrocious,” was the word used by assistant Crown attorney Mark Moors in court Thursday.
There were three separate licence suspensions, the last one ending in July 2010. "
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
bbertaud
Je ne regrette rien, rien de rien
199 Fans
 
06:19 PM on 08/05/2011
The slammer is ready for him
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
bbertaud
Je ne regrette rien, rien de rien
199 Fans
 
01:33 PM on 08/05/2011
Too late buddy....
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northstar11
mt
615 Fans
03:20 PM on 08/05/2011
thats what your mother said
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
bbertaud
Je ne regrette rien, rien de rien
199 Fans
 
06:19 PM on 08/05/2011
Wrong...that's what your boyfriend said
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ginger85
4 Fans
12:55 PM on 08/05/2011
Two families are ruined here, and Jack Tobin is displaying ample remorse. We all do stupid things, and unfortunately, this one had grave consequences. I wish all the best to both families. Time will heal.
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saskatoonie
254 Fans
03:20 PM on 08/05/2011
Time will heal? You obviously have never lost a child!
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RobbyCanuck
120 Fans
12:41 PM on 08/05/2011
While punishment of the individual offender is always one of the more important factors in sentencing as is deterrence, what is sending Jack Tobin to jail going to accomplish? He is one of those unique offenders who is truly contrite and remorseful. He has been punished. He will always live with this horrible event.

The reality is that putting Jack Tobin in jail for even 18 months will not deter the next "unthinking " person from drinking and driving.

Put him on probation and require him to talk to people (young and old) and warn them of the dangers of drinking and driving and the consequences it can have on one's life. Get him to make other young people think. This would be a much more constructive sentence than putting him in jail.

This is one of those rare cases where jail serves no constructive purpose.
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cdnbystander
123 Fans
02:33 PM on 08/05/2011
How about the deterrence factor. That even if you're wealthy, if you kill someone drinking and driving you go to jail. DUI still remains the one action where you take a life, and yet you're supposed to get a pass. This is not an isolated incident, and his butt should do more than 18 months, because if he wasn't a rich white boy, he'd be going to jail. He can talk to the kids when he gets out, and tell them how crappy jail was, in addition to how bad he feels killing someone he considered a friend. Besides, even if he gets 2 years, he'll be out in 1/3.
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