April 13, 2007
NJ Governor Corzine Critically Injured in Hit-And-Run
An SUV carrying New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine crashed on the Garden State Parkway in Galloway Township. After undergoing extensive surgery, Corzine has a broken leg, twelve broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a broken breastbone; he also has numerous facial lacerations. He is in stable condition and remains in the ICU, but faces many months of rehabilitation. State Senate President Richard Codey, who took over for NJ Governor James McGreevey when he stepped down, will be acting governor indefinitely.
While his injuries were not initially reported as life-threatening, the director of orthopedic trauma at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ, Robert F. Ostrum, said that Corzine was lucky to be alive. Sources tell WNBC.com that Corzine, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the SUV, was not wearing a seat belt; the state police could not confirm that, but Corzine typically does not wear seat belts. A volunteer EMT who happened to be near by said that Corzine was moaning when he saw him: James Freund told the NY Times, "It looked like the car made a direct impact on the left guard rail and kind of hopped over it.” Another witness told the Daily News that Corzine's legs were "hanging out the window" and that Corzine was screaming, "My leg! My leg!"
t's believed the SUV was run off the GSP after a red pick-up hit another car. From the Star-Ledger:
Corzine was sitting in the front passenger seat of the black Chevy Tahoe, alongside his driver. The motorcade was headed north in the left lane just past mile marker 44 when a red pickup truck entered the road from the shoulder and crossed into the path of a white Dodge Ram truck, police said.Corzine had been traveling from an Atlantic City meeting back to the governor's mansion for the meeting between the Rutgers women's basketball team and Don Imus. An aide sitting in the backseat did not need hospitalization while the trooper driving the SUV was treated at a hospital, but he asked that no information be released.The Dodge then swerved in front of the governor's SUV, colliding with the Tahoe and sending it careening onto the highway median and into the metal guardrail, police said.
The driver of the white Dodge stopped, but the pickup that police said caused the crash fled, officials said.
Former NJ governor Tom Kean and James McGreevey tell the Times that being governor of NJ means a lot of travel, with Kean saying, "When you spend your day in Trenton, which is right in the middle of the state, everyone thinks that you can get from there to where they are." (NY State has planes and helicopters for the governor.)
And NJ's seat belt law "Applies to all passengers, who are at least 8 years of age but less than 18 years of age, and each driver and front seat passenger of a passenger automobile, operated on a street or highway. All occupants are required to wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt system." We really hope Spitzer buckles up.
Update: Corzine's press secretary Anthony Coley confirms that the governor was not wearing a seat belt. We'd like acting Governor Codey to reprimand Corzine and make him do some serious PSAs about the issue, though Corzine will probably be a hobbling PSA for a while.
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why no articles about the duke case?
This is all Don Imus' fault.
Obviously, God wants Codey to be governor.
I remember it said that there are no accidents in NJ Politics
How does a Govt. seriously enforce seatbelt laws when the Governor does not follow the law? Lead by example!
But, then again his bad example may save a few lives of people who don't want to end up like Corzine.
I think he should be issued a ticket for not wearing his seat belt.
If it was me in the hospital all busted up, I bet some state trooper would show up with a ticket.
Bring one to Corzine then have him make public service buckle up messages from the hospital.
Anon, this is gothamist, not dukeist or NCist or chapelhillist.
The Garden State parkway is more of a speedway then a parkway. Cars travel at about 85 - 95 miles per hour on it. Why does the police do nothing? Because that is part of the great American dream. Chjeap gas, fast cars and waste waste waste.
felice
explain to me how The Cinecultist's Weekly Movie Pick is about new york.
#3, I was thinking the same thing! What are the odds that a legislator becomes Governor accidentally? Twice!
BTW, who is New York's Lieutenant Governor? I can't even remember. Must be a low profile person.
NY's Lieutenant Governor is David Patterson, who was previously a State Senator representing Harlem. Interesting facts: His father Basil Patterson was a prominent city politician and currently heads the labor practice at a LI law firm that Tom Suozzi's dad is a partner in; Patterson is legally blind.
And the Duke case is interesting, but something I decided not to focus on because there were so many other stories. I might write something about it this weekend.
As for Cinecultist's movie picks, there are movies in NYC!
State trooper that did "wounderful" job must be fired for not enforcing Seat belt law and Corzine must be ticketed
Seriously, in this day and age, who is stupid enough to NOT wear a seatbelt? I mean, they've only been around for about 40 years now, and they've only been proven to save countless lives.
I guess Corzine thinks he can throw his money at every problem, including his critical injuries.
Honestly, we puts on their seatbelt when you're a rear seat passenger? We should but we don't.
If you're in front then it's the law but I've never heard of it for rear seat passengers. Child seats excluded, there's laws for that.
Maybe this is a sign that God really wants Codey to be NJ Governor! Three time's he's been the Acting Governor and yet he's not won a single election.
Who needs a seatbelt - doesn't God know that Corzine used to work at Goldman Sachs?
Oh, but that would mean that God would have to care about New Jersey, which he clearly does not.
Corzine was in the front passenger seat.