News
FH Fire Chief Charged After Accident, Bridge Jump
By Ryan Fennell
RUMSON - It was all whispers prior to Fair Haven's regular Borough Council meeting on Monday night.
However, once the meeting began, there was no formal acknowledgement of the previous evenings' massive rescue effort to retrieve Fair Haven Fire Chief Shaun Foley, 27, from the Navesink River. Foley is also a Class II Special Law Enforcement Officer and Dispatcher in the Borough of Rumson.
According to Rumson Police Chief Richard Tobias, Foley has been charged with Failure to Report an Accident, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Reckless Driving, and Driving While Intoxicated.
Foley has retained Mitchell Ansell of Ansell Zaro Grimm and Aaron as his attorney.
At approximately 5:50 p.m. on Sunday, Foley, driving his Fair Haven Borough owned Fire Chief's vehicle, struck a telephone pole on East River Road in Rumson.
Foley left the scene of the accident on foot and was eventually located on the west side of the Oceanic Bridge by Little Silver Patrolman Gregory Oliva. According to a press release issued by the Rumson Police Department, Oliva attempted to get Foley into his patrol vehicle when Foley suddenly leapt over the guardrail on the bridge and into the Navesink River "for unknown reasons." Initial reports indicated that Foley had attempted suicide.
Rescue crews from all over the area were immediately dispatched to assist in the search and rescue.
Over 16 agencies responded including the U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter, New Jersey State Police Helicopter, and the Monmouth County Helicopter crews.
After approximately 45 minutes, the Fair Haven Fire Company Dive Team, the Fair Haven First Aid Squad Boat Crew and the U.S. Coast Guard Boat Crew located Foley in the water approximately 300 yards west of the bridge.
The U.S. Coast Guard Boat transported Foley to the dock at the Salt Creek Grille where he was met by the Fair Haven First Aid Squad and taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune where he was reported to be in fair condition.
Prior to Monday night's meeting Fair Haven Mayor Michael Halfacre expressed to The Two River Times™ the council's support of Foley.
"Chief Foley is a hardworking young man," Halfacre said. "He's done a lot through his volunteer efforts for the Borough of Fair Haven. We support him in whatever he is going through."
Assistant Fire Chief Jim Cerruti was in attendance at the council meeting and expressed his concern for Foley to reporters after the meeting concluded.
"I wish him the best," Cerruti said. "One of our top concerns is his well-being."
Cerruti would not comment any further on Foley's future with the department or his current condition.
According to Cerruti the department's chain of command is intact and was also intact during the rescue effort due to the organizational structure of the department.
There are several line officers in the department ranking from Chief, Assistant Chief, First Assistant Chief, and Second Assistant Chief.
"The way that it is set up is anyone can handle the scene in the absence of anybody else," Cerruti said. "As long as somebody is there to fulfill the responsibility that we're there to do."
Fair Haven Fire Department President Jim Butler said that Foley's future with the department would be handled administratively pending the results of the investigation.
The Rumson Police Department's investigation was lead by Patrolman James E. Fenn, III.
Fenn has previously served as Fire Chief for the Rumson Fire Department as recently as 2007.
"He is not the Fire Chief now," Tobias said. "He's a police officer. I was there. There's no cover up or anything else."
"Most of us are firemen also," Tobias added. "I've been a fireman for 30 years. I was there. I watched everything, and everything was done correctly."
According to a spokesperson at Jersey Shore Medical Center, Foley was discharged from the hospital on Monday.
