NJ State Police: Corzine driver was going 91 mph

[Scurrilous]

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

<snip>

"New Jersey state police said Tuesday afternoon that the SUV carrying Gov. Corzine before a serious accident Thursday was traveling at more than 90 miles per hour five seconds before it crashed into a guardrail.

The report that the SUV was speeding seemed to conflict with what state police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes said hours after the accident when Fuentes said speed did not appear to be a factor.

"From our preliminary investigation, it looks as if the trooper did a tremendous job in maintaining what control he could over that vehicle, given the fact that the other vehicle swerved into his path," Fuentes said Thursday.

Meanwhile, Corzine remained in intensive care Tuesday at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was flown Thursday after the Suburban he was riding in crashed into a guard rail on the Parkway. On his way from a speech in Atlantic City, Corzine was running late to a meeting between the Rutgers women's basketball team and radio host Don Imus, who had been fired earlier Thursday for uttering a racial slur about the players."



Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20070417_ap_officialcorzinedriverwasspeeding.html

[Robbien]

1. Believing as I do that congresscritters just know for a fact

that laws apply to others not them

it wouldn't surprise me if this speeding story is true.

[aquart]

2. I have no doubt at all that it's true.

The speed panicked the other driver who wasn't very experienced, he tried to pull over and accidentally forced another car into Corzine's.

Perhaps it will put the fear of surgery into other high-ranking officials.

[Tempest]

16. The way I understand it

The truck was already pulled over on the side of the road and entered traffic illegally, causing another car to swerve into Corzine's and hitting him.

Has this report changed?

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. Guess he should get some kind of *award* then.

>>>"From our preliminary investigation, it looks as if the trooper did a tremendous job in maintaining what control he could over that vehicle, given the fact that the other vehicle swerved into his path," Fuentes said Thursday.>>>

And did they ever locate this evil creep who had the nerve to "swerve" (original reports said the other car "cut-off" Corzine's vehicle; how does one cut off a car that's going over 90 'five seconds before it crashed"?

A 'tremendous job' indeed. Ahhh.... New Jersey.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

8. I'm Guessing...

The reason the other driver was not charged with causing an accident by making an unsafe lane change, is that it's impossible to make a safe lane change when a car is traveling in that lane, at 25 MPH above the posted limit.

[rocktivity]

15. DING DING DING! OrangeCountyDemocrat, you're our grand prize winner!

I'm guessing...(t)he reason the other driver was not charged...is that it's impossible to make a safe lane change when a car is traveling in that lane at 25 MPH above the posted limit.

AHA!!!

What has smelled to me about this whole thing is why the driver in the red pickup truck would pull onto the shoulder and back into the lane without stopping--for which he certainly should have been charged. One report said he "overcompensated" for his right-side wheels catching some mud. But suppose he OVERREACTED--suppose he saw the lights coming up behind him at 90MPH and panicked?

:think:
rocknation

[marshall]

31. He was boxed in

It sounds to me like the driver in the right lane (who ended up hitting the governor's SUV) had not slowed down enough to allow the pickup to get out of the way of the SUV which was rushing up on it, lights flashing and probably freaking the driver out. He should have anticipated that the pickup would HAVE to get out of the way.

[rocktivity]

34. The driver of the governor's SUV should have anticipated

that going 90MPH with no siren wouldn't give ANYONE time to get out of the way. No wonder everybody else freaked out--and no wonder no charges were filed!

:(
rocknation

[bmbmd]

4. How fast was Rick Perry, then lieutenant gov of Texas,

going when he was pulled over in the late nineties?

[slackmaster]

5. 91 MPH And a front-seat passenger with no seat belt on

Bad SUV driver, BAD!!!

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

6. So.....Who Is The Most Stupid Of The Three?

The driver who cut in front of the SUV traveling at 90 MPH, well over the posted limit?

Corzine's driver, who was reckless in driving at 90 MPH, which is obviously flying down the highway, making any lane change by someone in front of them, an impossibility to begin with.

Or Corzine himself, for being dumb enough to not wear a seat belt.

[Demeter]

14. Plenty To Go Around n/t

[ramapo]

28. Corzine, Corzine, & Corzine & Corzine

1. Not wearing seat belt

2. Getting involved with the Imus situation. Doesn't a governor have more important things to do?

3. Letting his driver travel 90+mph on the Parkway where driving stupid is SOP.

and on edit

4. Corzine...who evidently never considered that being rich and powerful doesn't mean that you can't still get killed on the GSP, especially when you act stupid

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. "Did a tremendous job....."

Yeah, right. Another cop that thinks the law applies only to others.

And the Gov. rides without a seat belt, to boot.

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. ever drive on the Garden State Parkway before?

Doing 90 mph there is nothing. People drive 70 in the rain on the GSP.

[rinsd]

10. Oh yeah and with traffic coming to a complete halt every few miles!

[rocktivity]

12. I was actually disappointed when the GSP's limit was raised to 65

It took all the FUN out of doing 70!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Tempest]

17. According to my nephew who drives GSP daily

If you're not going at least 80-85 MPH, you'll get run off the road.

[THUNDER HANDS]

19. i was coming home from a deposition in Hackensack

last week, in a driving rainstorm, with people doing 90+

i was doing 65 and I felt like an old man. And I'm 28.

[BattyDem]

25. I know what you mean

I do 65 and the other cars FLY passed me! Weather doesn't matter at all. :-(

[Kber]

27. He's not far from wrong

I regularly go 75+, in the slow lane, with cars whizzing by like I'm standing still.

The only time I ever regularly kept up with traffic was when I was consulting. I lived in Northern NJ, but the assignment was in DE. I could make it from Morristown to Wilmington in about 3 hours.

Which meant that I was one of those assholes doing 85 - 90 plus.

Really stupid in retrospect. Mark it down to the idiocy of youth.

[slackmaster]

21. Yes, several times

The style is bumper-to-bumper, door handle-to-door handle at any speed, which is usually fast.

[The Wizard]

24. It's called Combat Driving (NT)

[slackmaster]

44. You can keep it

Things are dangerous enough here in California.

[Zensea]

32. Bingo!

Exactly what I was going to post.
Drive the speed limit in New Jersey that close to NYC and you're liable to cause an accident.

[RamboLiberal]

11. Must be taking lessons from my Gov "Fast Eddie" Rendell

But my Gov beats NJ Gov in speed. Wonder if Rendell wears his seat belt or has learned a lesson. Story from 2004. They're both Dems but IMHO they're both jerks on this count.

Gov. Ed Rendell is 'fessing up to reports that he was driven at speeds in excess of 100 mph in his state limousine.

In his first public statement on the issue, Rendell said late Wednesday he assumes a Philadelphia Daily News story Monday is accurate. The newspaper reported his Cadillac limousine was clocked at 100 mph nine times by troopers since November.

Rendell said the speed level was "unconscionable" and pledged it won't happen again. He said he accepts responsibility.

Rendell said he didn't know at the time that his limo, driven by a state police bodyguard, had exceeded 100 mph on the turnpike. "Did I know we were going over the speed limit? Sure," he said Thursday in Philadelphia.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_187421.html

[Purveyor]

13. And yet, still missed the 'photo-op' with Imus and the Rutgers ladies... eom

[hlthe2b]

18. Well, I'm guessing at least one of them won't repeat ...

It would be hard for me to imagine Corzine not coming out with a mega mea culpa for not wearing his seat belt and then going on to promote use throughout the rest of his political life. Of course, if he were a Republican, rather than the Democratic Governor of NJ, then all bets would be off...:eyes:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

20. Bad cop. Can him. Arrest him.

If you are driving 91 MPH the responsibility is on you as the driver to make sure no one else gets killed.
Corzine is very luck he didn't die. The trooper is (was) a bad cop.
What surprises me is that the NJ state police even let us all in on this fact.

[Igel]

30. Your boss' boss' boss' boss gets into the car with you and

tells you to hurry: if he's late, he's embarrassed, if he's embarrassed, he's mad, if he's mad he tells your supervisor and his boss and his boss and his boss that you can't follow a simple order.

Your life can be made a living hell, unless some intermediate supervisor stands up for you--then you only have a few hours of hell, and *he* has his life made into a living hell.

Or, you can have what you think will be a fairly pleasant life, and simply say, "Yes, sir."

However, if Corzine *wasn't* in a hurry, he should have told the trooper to obey the speed limit. Actually it doesn't matter: He was in a hurry, and should have said precisely the same thing. Something tells me this didn't happen. In this instance, the buck stops with Corzine.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

35. Everyone knows the law

and the trooper was breaking the law.
And even if you accept he was within his rights to speed, the buck stops with HIM, the DRIVER OF THE CAR, to operate it safely.

[RobinA]

36. Every Cop

I've ever known (a few, not a lot) has driven like a bat out of hell on the job or off. I think they think they are better drivers than everybody else, and let's face it, it's not like they are going to get a ticket.

[AngryAmish]

37. My brother in law is a cop

Federal law enforcement. I am following him to go hunting (he is going hunting, I'm shooting trap). I am out of state and in a borrowed car. He gets on the highway and floors it. I trying to keep up but there is no way I'm getting pulled over out of state for reckless driving (he is north of Corzine pretty fast and I am won't go over 90 to avoid reckless driving charge.

Anyway he gets pulled over after five minutes with several guns in the car (all legal). He and the trooper have a good ole laugh about it (I'm told) and we are merrily on our way.

[jcrew2001]

22. Pataki was hit by my friends delivery truck

Ten years ago, my friends delivery truck hit Pataki's car driving through a red light. They sited my friend with a ticket even though Pataki was speeding through the intersection.

[LostinVA]

23. Damn, why didn't the State Troopers stop him for going too slow?

[Miss Chybil]

26. Perfect example of why our laws should apply to everyone

including the powerful elite. Speed limits and seat belts. It's reallly not that hard...

[fujiyama]

29. I hope once he recovers

Corzine will be a vocal advocate of wearing a seat belt. I don't know how effective seat belt laws are, but using a seat belts are a pretty simple way to increase your chance of surviving an accident.

[BootinUp]

33. 91 in traffic? Thats safe

:crazy:

and no seat belt too?

[Vinca]

38. An accident at 91 mph and no seat belt? Corzine is a very lucky man. nt

[SemperEadem]

39. 91mph on the Parkway?

I'm not surprised... people drive fast in NJ--both on the parkway and the turnpike. They are on their horn .0000000000001 of a second after the light turns green. It's amazing.

[rocktivity]

40. And we don't like using our turn signals

because we're so fiercely protective of our privacy.

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[SemperEadem]

41. but away from their cars, folks in NJ are some of the friendliest people

I've ever met. They'll strike up a conversation with you just because... I had to move out of state for a job and I must say that I miss how friendly the people of NJ are.

[undeterred]

42. Are governors exempt from seat belt laws?

I'm just askin'...

[CJ5]

57. Nope

[Canuckistanian]

43. It looks like the NY Post owes Corzine an apology

For this:


But of course, they won't.

[WePurrsevere]

45. kick

:kick:

[Bake]

46. Corzine's car was doing 91 mph before crash

Source: Reuters

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The vehicle carrying New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was traveling at 91 mph (146 kph), almost 30 miles over the speed limit, just before it crashed last week, seriously injuring him, state police said on Tuesday.

The sport utility vehicle driven by a state trooper was traveling in the left lane of the Garden State Parkway with its emergency lights on when it was hit by a white pickup truck, according to a statement by the New Jersey State Police.

The pickup truck had swerved to avoid another vehicle that had moved to avoid hitting a mile marker near the edge of the roadway, the statement said. Both vehicles had moved to the right as the governor's vehicle approached.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1720648420070418?feedType=RSS

---

The speed limit along that stretch of the parkway is 65, according to the article. I guess that meeting between Imus and the Rutgers team was pretty urgent stuff. Sad.

Bake

[Benhurst]

47. It's about "our" leaders, including Bush, stop tearing through the countryside like

Bonnie and Clyde hightailing it after bank robbery.

[jobycom]

49. My first image is of the Russian nobility galloping over the peasants

in the mud of the streets of St. Petersburg.

Damn. He's a Democrat, but he's not my favorite one right now. I'm glad he was the only person seriously injured, rather than some innocent citizen. And they tried to make the pickup truck driver into the bad guy at first. :grr:

[Captain Hilts]

52. Or the special lanes in Moscow reserved for govt. officials. nt

[Captain Hilts]

53. In the president's case, it's for security. They've always done that. nt

[Benhurst]

55. Yeah, sure. Let him ride in his over-priced helicopter if he doesn't feel safe in

his bomb-proof limousine.

How more people does he have to maim or kill speeding around? The cop he killed in Hawaii was on a military base. He's not secure there?

Part of it is security, but a lot of it is one huge ego trip.

[Bake]

48. Big-ass SUV doing 91

That's a lot of inertia; it has to be difficult to keep something that big under control at that speed. And to top it off, of course, no seat belt.

Damn shame.

Bake

[ChairmanAgnostic]

50. make that a TOP HEAVY SUV going 91, and not wearing belts.

not very bright.

[Captain Hilts]

51. You're about 4 days late on this one. nt

[Bake]

54. My apologies if this is old news (I know the seat belt was old news)

The Reuters article I saw for the first time this morning is dated today.

Bake

[Captain Hilts]

56. yeah, he was going 91. The State police had to retract their assertion that speed...

was not involved.

Wonder why Reuters is coming out with this today?

Oh well.