New Jersey's Democrat Governor Jon Corzine remains in critical condition after the SUV in which he was being chauffeured was travelling at 91 mph and struck another vehicle. Corzine was not wearing a seat belt.
Gov. Corzine would never have been injured if only there were laws that required people to wear seatbelts and prohibited them from speeding.
We wish Gov. Corzine a full and speedy recovery. We commend him for signing legislation that will improve driver education and highway safety. We can never have enough legislation to ensure people's safety.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 17, 2007 11:36 PM | Email ThisSorry, Stefan, but as Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."
Posted by: Bruce on April 17, 2007 11:59 PMClearly it's a lack of civility in discourse that encourages people like Don Imus to make remarks like he did. And then that leads to terrible car accidents like the one that injured Jon Corzine.
Nomination of State Attorney General
One of Corzine's first appointments was that of Zulima Farber as New Jersey Attorney General. Farber had been nominated for Attorney General before by former Governor James E. McGreevey, but McGreevey withdrew the nomination after learning that Farber had bench warrants issued for her arrest due to numerous motor vehicle infractions. Despite criticism, Corzine re-nominated Ms. Farber. Farber served as Attorney General for approximately seven months before being forced to resign in the summer of 2006 after an ethics investigation by a retired Judge concluded that Attorney General Farber had improperly interfered after Fairview, New Jersey, police stopped her boyfriend for a motor vehicle violation and arrested him and impounded his vehicle when it was learned the vehicle was unregistered and that the boyfriend's New Jersey driver's license had been administratively suspended.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J on_Corzine#Nomination_of_State _Attorney_General
Posted by: Richard Pope on April 18, 2007 01:41 AMThen, they tried to blame the accident on a red truck. Now, the truth comes out that he was going 91 mph and the truck was strugggling to get out of the way.
And for what? What meeting was so important that corzine had to be traveling 91 mph (a 25 over/reckless driving/major points ticket for us mere mortals)? Were millions of lives at stake? Did he need to get to the hospital (well, before the accident anyways)? No. He had to go play Jerry Springer to a meeting between imus and the rutgers womens b-ball team. Oh, yeah. That was worth endangering peoples lives on the thruway..
Posted by: rbb on April 18, 2007 05:45 AMIt is impossible to make life risk free.
It is impossible to force anyone to follow rules they disdain, unless of course one creates North Korea here. Or, the Orwellian King County Dept of Elections.
Corzine is a time tested, self absorbed egomaniac who selectively follows only the rules HE feels apply to him. He is a pretty important guy, or, properly acronymed, a PIG.
Posted by: Hank on April 18, 2007 06:30 AMTelling us how to live, but not for himself.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on April 18, 2007 06:36 AMEXCERPT from Red pickup driver had 'Special Needs'. He wasn't charged with leaving the scene of an accident because he didn't realize he was involved in the crash, State Police Capt. Al Della Fave said. However, authorities left the door open for charges to be filed later, saying the investigation was not yet complete.
The driver of the truck picked it up Saturday afternoon at the New Jersey State Police station in Buena Vista. He did not talk to the media.
An official with knowledge of the investigation described the driver as a "special needs driver," but said it was unclear if that contributed to the accident. The official spoke also on the condition of anonymity because that official was not authorized to discuss the matter.
EXCERPT from 91 MPH before crash. The driver, Trooper Robert Rasinski, could be charged if the state police Motor Vehicular Pursuit Review Board determines the crash was preventable, Superintendent of State Police Col. Rick Fuentes said.
Fuentes said speed was a factor in the accident. A black box inside the SUV recorded the speed of the SUV five seconds before the crash. He said the executive protection unit has the discretion to move through traffic by stepping up their speed and using flashing lights when necessary.
"If it's a non-emergency situation, we would ask them to obey the traffic laws and the speed laws in the interest of safety," he said.
Talk about your losing streaks. The only thing that could top that would be Darcy Burner succeeding Mrs. G.
Posted by: Rey Smith on April 18, 2007 09:07 AMAre laws now replacing the what the failed educational system / parents / families used to do?
Anyone wonder why there is no respect for the law anymore?
Posted by: fox3 on April 18, 2007 09:13 AMYup, if you are of a certain age you'll remember the phrase "defensive driving". The key to this was to assume other drivers will do stupid things, (they often do). "Defensive driving" appeared in public service announcements for years, and my application of it saved my life just recently. Common sense and education has been replaced by mandatory seatbelt and helmet laws and now the no cell phone edict. I wonder how those my age managed to survive the days before all these laws were enacted.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on April 18, 2007 10:16 AMLaws don't prevent anything, they are designed to provide remedy for illegal behavior.
Posted by: JC on April 18, 2007 12:32 PMNew Jersey's Seat Belt Law:
(NJS 39:3-76.2f)
• Applies to all passenger vehicles including vans, pickup trucks and SUV's, that are required to be equipped with seat belts.
• 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.
• Makes the driver responsible for proper seat belt use by all occupants who are under the age of 18.