eadly Drunk Driving Crash 1/4/2005 By Heather Sorentrue/WCJB TV20 News Friends of the victims are consumed with pain and anger that a repeat offender was once again out on the road. The two women were heading home on their motorcycle Sunday night, after spending a day at the beach. But, their day and lives came to a crashing halt when they crossed paths with Randy Morin of Satsuma. Florida Highway Patrol troopers say Morin was driving east on State Road 100 when he slammed up against the guard rail, then swerved across the road and struck the cement wall. Seconds later Cheri McArthur and Cathleen Carter crashed into the car and the force tossed them from the motorcycle. Both women were taken to the hospital and died from their injuries. Word of the crash spread at the coffee shop the two women owned together. “What can be more devastating then to lose two of your closest friends, you know, and what can make you more angry than to know it was because of a drunk driver and not just somebody once, but a man who drinks and drives habitually,” says Cate Miller, a friend of the victims. FHP Spokesperson Bill Leeper says Morin has three DUI convictions on his record and he hasn’t had a license since the mid 90’s. “These two people weren’t in an accident. Really they were murdered,” says Miller. It’s a painful blow to this tight-knit group that compares Cheri and Cathleen’s coffee shop to a place like “Cheers.” A make-shift memorial now surrounds the statue that serves as the shop’s landmark. “I just wept. I’ve never seen this particular statue represent so much heart for a person we all loved so much,” says Kirsten Engstrom, who sculpted the statue when the shop opened. Troopers say blood alcohol tests show Morin was at almost two times the legal limit. Some of the charges against him are two counts of DUI manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide, misdemeanor DUI, careless driving, and driving with a revoked license. On Tuesday, Morin remained at the Putnam County Jail on a $50,000 bail.
