Shaun Foley has quit his post as Fair Haven’s fire chief following a bizarre series of incidents Sunday night that began with a car crash and ended with a massive effort to rescue him from the Navesink River, according to the Asbury Park Press.
The 27-year-old Foley has also retained a lawyer and plans to plead not guilty to charges of drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident and reckless driving in Rumson, where he was a police dispatcher and special police officer —jobs that he also resigned Tuesday, the Press reports.
From the Press, quoting defense attorney Mitchell Ansell of Ocean Township:
“He felt this was the most prudent course of action that he could take based on the situation,” Ansell said. “We just got copies of the complaint. We haven’t reviewed the police reports or discovery.”
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He declined to elaborate further about what happened Sunday night, but said Foley hasn’t talked to his fellow firefighters except to tend his resignation.
“Shaun does look forward to moving on an putting this behind him,” he said.
Ansell tells the newspaper that he will seek a change of venue from Rumson municipal court when Foley is scheduled to make his first appearance on the charges, scheduled for December 9.