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Couple from England killed in Va. Beach car crashJan 20, 2010 (The Virginian-Pilot - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- VIRGINIA BEACH -- A married couple from England visiting family in Virginia Beach were killed Tuesday after a suspected drunken driver lost control and crashed into their car on Princess Anne Road. Anthony Eden Tonking, 74, and Mary Jean Tonking, 72, were driving home from spending time at a park in Pungo about 2:30 p.m. when the crash happened. Mary Jean Tonking was pronounced dead at the scene. Anthony Tonking, who was driving a Ford Contour, died at a hospital. Their vehicle was hit by a 1996 BMW in the 1900 block of Princess Anne, according to Virginia Beach police spokesman Adam Bernstein. Christopher Dockiewicz, 44, of the 2400 block of Pitchfork Way in Virginia Beach was driving the BMW. He was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and is expected to survive. A magistrate went to the hospital, and Dockiewicz was charged with DUI and two counts of aggravated manslaughter, Bernstein said. Dockiewicz was not granted a bond, and sheriff's deputies were guarding him at the hospital. Dockiewicz was headed south on Princess Anne Road and was speeding, Bernstein said. He lost control on a curve and fishtailed into the oncoming lane, where the passenger side of his car smashed into the Tonkings' car. "There was actually nothing they could do," Bernstein said. The Tonkings were wearing seat belts. Dockiewicz, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was "traveling in excess of the speed limit," but an estimated speed was not available, Bernstein said. The Tonkings were to have returned home to England soon. They went to the park to take advantage of Tuesday's nice weather, Bernstein said. Patrick Wilson, (757) 769-3351, [email protected] To see more of the The Virginian-Pilot, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pilotonline.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |