She is a hairdresser of nearly 30 years working two jobs to support her 10-year-old son and a nephew whose mother died, according to a friend and her lawyer.
She is a devoted daughter who lived in a house next to her parents and helped them raise foster children before marrying and raising a child herself, they said. She cared for her mother until her death and now watches over her elderly father in a nursing home.
People who know Patricia A. Neville-Colp, 48, of 627 Oak St., Bridgewater, were saddened that she now faces charges she was drunk and under the influence of drugs when she was involved in a Route 24 car accident Saturday night that killed Maureen O’Brien Ellis, 57, of Easton.
"She has always been a good friend," said Anna Nakouzi, 50, of Bridgewater, who has known Neville-Colp for 15 years. "She is the sweetest kind of person. I just feel very bad this happened to her and her family. I feel bad for the other person, too."
But in Stoughton District Court on Monday, prosecutor Kathryn Herbst said Neville-Colp admitted drinking several beers at the Randolph VFW on Saturday after finishing a shift at work. Randolph VFW officials could not be reached for comment Monday.
State police said Neville-Colp failed several sobriety tests, such as reciting the alphabet, counting backward from 65 and standing on one foot. They said they found marijuana and pills in her car, including what appeared to be the remains of a marijuana cigarette on the floor.
A check of Neville-Colp’s driving record through the state Registry of Motor Vehicles showed she had multiple driving infractions in the past, including six accidents that resulted in surcharges in 1984, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008. She was also cited twice for speeding in the 1990s.
Neville-Colp told police the 11 p.m. crash occurred after another vehicle cut her off as she tried to enter Route 24 south from Route 139.
But the prosecutor at her arraignment Monday said Neville-Colp’s 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee ignored the exit ramp and essentially "took a left turn onto the highway," over the rumble strips, crossing three lanes of traffic and striking a 2011 Kia Sportage containing Ellis, her sister and brother-in-law.
The Kia spun about and rolled over. Ellis, who was sitting in the rear and not wearing a seat belt, was thrown onto the highway, state police said. She suffered "serious head and lower body trauma" and showed no signs of life when police found her in the road, Herbst said.
In the courtroom, Ellis’ family filled one side of the courtroom and Neville-Colp’s family the other. Ellis’ brother-in-law, Steven H. Cadoff, 64, of Sharon, who was driving the Kia, sat with his arm in a sling, while his wife, Martha A. Cadoff, 63, the victim’s sister, sat next to him crying.
Larry Tipton, the defendant’s court-appointed attorney, said Neville-Colp’s behavior after the accident was "consistent with her head being slammed into the steering wheel." He said she had answered police questions as best she could but was suffering from a concussion. "She is a wonderful, caring individual. This is a tragic accident â€" an accident indeed," said Tipton.
Herbst, the prosecutor, said Neville-Colp registered a .13 on a mechanical alcohol breath test at the state police barracks, but Tipton said it took "six to nine" tries to get the machine to register a reading.
Drivers are considered drunk with a blood-alcohol reading of .08.
After Neville-Colp’s arrest, her bail was set at $5,000 cash. Herbst sought to raise it in court to $10,000, while Tipton wanted it lowered to $2,500, citing Neville-Colp’s deep roots in the community and her "rather unremarkable life with no criminal involvement whatsoever."
Judge Richard Savignano set bail at $100,000 cash â€" 10 times the amount sought by Herbst. He cited the nature and circumstances of the charges and the potential penalty â€" a maximum of 15 years in state prison if she is convicted of the most serious of the nine charges she faces, motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Neville-Colp was taken away in handcuffs. Her family left the court without comment.
Her case was continued to Oct 11.
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