N.J. Gov.'s SUV Went 91 Mph Before Crash

[RightinNYC]

The SUV carrying Gov. Jon S. Corzine was traveling about 91 mph moments before it crashed, Superintendent of State Police Col. Rick Fuentes said Tuesday.

The governor was critically injured when the vehicle crashed into a guardrail on the Garden State Parkway just north of Atlantic City last week. He apparently was not wearing his seat belt as he rode in the front passenger's seat.

The speed limit along that stretch of the parkway is 65 mph.

The state trooper-driven sport utility vehicle was in the left lane with its emergency lights flashing when a pickup tried to get out of its way. Instead, it set off a chain reaction that resulted in the crash.

Corzine's list of injuries was extensive: He broke his left thigh bone, a dozen ribs, collarbone and chest bone. He also fractured a vertebrae in his lower back.

He remains in critical but stable condition Tuesday and doctors were assessing when he might be ready to breathe without a ventilator.

Doctors have said he doesn't have brain damage or paralysis, and is doing well for someone who sustained so many injuries.

This is interesting. In all the previous reports, it made it seem like they was just traveling along when some random guy in a truck swerved and caused a car crash. Now it comes out that they were traveling over 90, and were responsible for causing the crash itself.

Politicians have a habit of driving at ridiculous rates of speed and making prodigious use of flashing lights. It's dangerous as hell, especially when they have people who aren't trained to drive at those speeds or are in otherwise unsafe situations.

ex. I was once stuck driving a van full of reporters following a politician to a press conference. I was told "just to keep up." They had a massive souped up black SUV with emergency lights driven by professional security. I had a crappy minivan and no idea where exactly I was. The 20 min trip doing 80 on a 4 lane road, weaving in and out of traffic, was one of the most stressful experiences of my life. Couldn't pay me to do that again.

 

[rathi]

Privilege and power often go to people's heads. His injuries are the consequence of his foolish and reckless behavior.

 

[Stinger]

I hope all are appropriately charged with any violations of the law they committed including the govenor.

 

[aps]

I hope all are appropriately charged with any violations of the law they committed including the govenor.

Me too. Stinger, it's a law to wear your seat belt in New Jersey. The governor was NOT wearing his seat belt. He was sitting in the passenger seat, which is one of the most vulnerable places one can sit in a car. Talk about stupid..oh, and illegal.

 

[debate_junkie]

Here's the kicker. The gov...wasn't driving. It was a NJ State Police Trooper. Hmmmmm will he be immune to the law? Wait and see, I bet he slides on by.

 

[Stinger]

Here's the kicker. The gov...wasn't driving. It was a NJ State Police Trooper. Hmmmmm will he be immune to the law? Wait and see, I bet he slides on by.

I think there are a variety of charges they could bring, prehaps one of our resident attorney's can chime it. For instance what was the emergency he was responding to that required his flashing lights to be on?

 

[debate_junkie]

I think there are a variety of charges they could bring, prehaps one of our resident attorney's can chime it. For instance what was the emergency he was responding to that required his flashing lights to be on?

Excellent point. That fact slipped right by me.

 

[RightinNYC]

I think there are a variety of charges they could bring, prehaps one of our resident attorney's can chime it. For instance what was the emergency he was responding to that required his flashing lights to be on?

A press conference about the Imus fiasco.


Seriously.

 

[WI Crippler]

I think there are a variety of charges they could bring, prehaps one of our resident attorney's can chime it. For instance what was the emergency he was responding to that required his flashing lights to be on?

Here in Wisconsin we had a trooper give himself a ticket for an illegal lane change he made while chasing a car.....I don't have the link I just heard about it.

 

[debate_junkie]

A press conference about the Imus fiasco.


Seriously.

He was enroute to the meeting between Imus and the Rutgers team, at the governor's mansion. Having said that, is that an emergency that warrants flashing lights? Last I'd checked flashing lights were only reserved for signal that the officer was enroute to a call for help, or to ticket a motorist.

 

[Stinger]

He was enroute to the meeting between Imus and the Rutgers team, at the governor's mansion. Having said that, is that an emergency that warrants flashing lights? Last I'd checked flashing lights were only reserved for signal that the officer was enroute to a call for help, or to ticket a motorist.

And is the govenor complicit as the highest legal authority in the state, was the officer doing under the orders of his boss?

 

[debate_junkie]

And is the govenor complicit as the highest legal authority in the state, was the officer doing under the orders of his boss?

It hasn't been stated, but I don't think even the Governor can ask a trooper to violate the law to help him in a situation that is a non-emergency. I'll have to check on Jersey's lights and siren's statute, and get back to you on that... after my youngins are in bed for the night, and I actually have time to look it up

 

[debate_junkie]

And is the govenor complicit as the highest legal authority in the state, was the officer doing under the orders of his boss?

I didn't find anything on NJ laws governing flashing lights and sirens on emergency/police cars, but I did find this tasty tidbit:

State Police Capt. Al Della Fave said he didn't know if Rasinski requested Corzine fasten his seat belt, but said a state police review board will decide the trooper's responsibility for both his driving speed and Corzine's failure to wear a seat belt.

Rasinski hasn't returned repeated telephone calls made by The Associated Press, including on Wednesday. He could be disciplined if the board determines the crash was preventable, Fuentes said. Della Fave declined to elaborate on how possible discipline might work.

http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=80&sid=1114040

So apparently, there will be some more looking into this.

oh wait.. here we go.. apparently the Gov's protection unit has discretion when to use speed and flashing lights.

Fuentes said the governor's executive protection unit is trained to move through traffic by increasing their speed and activating flashing lights when necessary.
The driver has discretion over the traveling speed and when to activate emergency lights, Fuentes said. He said the investigation showed that the governor did not ask Rasinski to speed up.

 

[Stinger]

It hasn't been stated, but I don't think even the Governor can ask a trooper to violate the law to help him in a situation that is a non-emergency.

Legally no, but that doesn't me he won't and that the officer won't comply. If the officer testifies that he was doing that speed because his boss, the governor told him to, the governor will have something to answer for.

I'm just glad another vehicle wasn't involved heavily and that no one else got hurt.

 

[Stinger]

Fuentes said the governor's executive protection unit is trained to move through traffic by increasing their speed and activating flashing lights when necessary.
The driver has discretion over the traveling speed and when to activate emergency lights, Fuentes said. He said the investigation showed that the governor did not ask Rasinski to speed up.

Hmmm hope there is more, I think I'm correct that these were just emergency flashers like on all cars, not flashing blue lights on top or on the dash. And I wonder if the discretion has certain limitations like a justifiable emergency. Going to an Imus interview doesn't seem something worth of the risk to them or the public. I mean what was he protecting the governor from that made it necessary as Fuentes said?

 

[RightinNYC]

Hmmm hope there is more, I think I'm correct that these were just emergency flashers like on all cars, not flashing blue lights on top or on the dash. And I wonder if the discretion has certain limitations like a justifiable emergency. Going to an Imus interview doesn't seem something worth of the risk to them or the public. I mean what was he protecting the governor from that made it necessary as Fuentes said?

To clarify, they're not just standard blinkers, they're specially designed emergency red and blue lights. Politicians use them to go to and from things like press conferences all the time.

 

[Stinger]

To clarify, they're not just standard blinkers, they're specially designed emergency red and blue lights. Politicians use them to go to and from things like press conferences all the time.

I don't know that that is clear here as they are being called "emergency blinkers". That being said here is the latest as he left the hospital for the Governors Mansion:

"No one in the motorcade used emergency lights, as his driver had been doing at the time of the accident. They kept to a pace of about 70 miles per hour, even though the posted limit is 55 on the stretch of Interstate 295 that leads to Drumthwacket, the governor’s official mansion in Princeton, where Mr. Corzine will spend the next stage of his recovery."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/n...en=823e9355881c338b&ei=5099&partner=TOPIXNEWS

I hope tickets are issued.