Was N.J. Governor Wearing Seat Belt?

Aide Says Jon Corzine Apparently Was Not When He Was Injured In Crash

(CBS/AP)  Gov. Jon S. Corzine was apparently riding without a seat belt, in violation of state law, when he was critically injured in the crash of his official vehicle, a spokesman said Friday.

A state trooper was at the wheel and the governor was sitting as usual in the front passenger seat when the SUV slammed into a guard rail Thursday night, authorities said. Corzine broke a leg, his breastbone, 12 ribs and a vertebra.

Corzine, 60, was sedated and on a breathing tube, and a doctor who helped treat him said the governor was fortunate he was not more seriously hurt.

"There's no way to tell specifically how close he came to more severe injuries, but based on pictures I've seen of the crash, I think he's lucky," said Dr. Steven E. Ross, trauma chief at Cooper University Hospital.

Ross said Corzine was stable and improving, and could be removed from a ventilator within the next few days. But a spokesman said it is unclear how long it will take before the governor is well enough to return to work.

"Fully functioning is going to be a while, but in terms of being able to operate the state from confinement, I would expect maybe 10 days, two weeks or whatever," state Senate President Richard Codey, who took over as acting governor while Corzine recovers, told WCBS-AM Friday morning.

State police were looking for the driver of a pickup truck they believe caused the crash and fled. That driver could be charged with careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The governor himself could face a citation.

New Jersey law requires all front-seat occupants of a vehicle to wear a seat belt. Violators face a $46 fine.

Corzine chief of staff Tom Shea said he did not believe the governor had been wearing his seat belt.

"If he was not, he certainly should have been," Shea said, "and we would encourage the state police to issue a citation."

Shea said Corzine usually wears his seat belt. When asked why the trooper who was driving would not have asked Corzine to put on his seat belt, Shea said the governor was "not always amenable to suggestion."

Corzine cannot speak because of the breathing tube down his throat, and state police said they have been unable to interview him about the accident.

Senate President Richard J. Codey, a fellow Democrat, took over as acting governor. It is a familiar role for Codey, who served the last 14 months of Gov. James E. McGreevey's term after he disclosed a gay affair and resigned in 2004.

The accident happened while Corzine was en route from Atlantic City to the governor's mansion in Princeton for a meeting between the Rutgers women's basketball team and radio host Don Imus, who was fired for using a slur to describe the athletes.

State Trooper Robert Rasinski was driving the governor's Chevrolet Suburban when another vehicle, swerving to avoid a pickup truck, hit the sport utility vehicle and sent it off the Garden State Parkway, authorities said. Police following the governor in another vehicle administered first aid to Corzine and called for a helicopter.

Rasinski also was injured. His condition was not disclosed, but Codey said he was expected to be released from the hospital Friday. A governor's aide in the vehicle was not hurt, authorities said.

The speed limit was 65 mph. State police said speed was not believed to be a factor, but they had no immediate word on how fast the SUV was going. Shea said he did not know whether its air bags deployed.

Authorities searched for the driver of the red Ford F-150 pickup truck blamed for the wreck, checking video cameras mounted at toll plazas along the highway. The motorist had been driving erratically just before the crash, state police said.

The accident marks the third straight time a New Jersey governor has broken a leg while in office. McGreevey broke his leg in 2002 during a nighttime walk on the beach, and Christie Whitman broke her leg while skiing in the Swiss Alps in 1999.

[barbaraf4]

Is there no end to the disaster caused by the vortex created by Sharpton and Jackson over a comment made by Imus on the air? A comment made at the same time Hip-Hop stations all over the nation were playing invitations to hate authority, policemen, women and to indulge in violence and drugs.

I'm sorry about the Governor's injuries. Now it's Sharpton's turn to apologize.

[arvid0823]

By JASON WHITLOCK - Columnist (Kansas City Star)

Thank you, Don Imus. You%u2019ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.

You%u2019ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality...

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it%u2019s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.

The bigots win again...

I ain%u2019t saying Jesse, Al and Vivian are gold-diggas, but they don%u2019t have the heart to mount a legitimate campaign against the real black-folk killas.

It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent.

Rather than confront this heinous enemy from within, we sit back and wait for someone like Imus to have a slip of the tongue and make the mistake of repeating the things we say about ourselves.

[houser123]

BarbaraF:

While I agree with you up to a point, one cannot blame this accident on what Imus said athe the subsequent fallout. What its time for is for Sharpton, Jackson and all the other critics of Imus which I am one also, is to take this same message to the Hip Hop stations playing those disgusting lyrics across the airwaves. If those adverisers supporting the HIP HOP stations pulled thier support, the results would be the same. BTW, not all HIP HOP is bad.

[pghlady3]

in an interview a rutgers lady said 'i can call her a ho, but you can't' THATS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SOCIETY. Either no one can say it or EVERY ONE can say it. Sorry you cant have it both ways.
When is jackson and sharpton going to apologise to the duke lacrosse team??????

[mdk2dude]

If the Governor was wearing his seat belt and acting responsbly this whole mess would be only a minor injury. He would probably have been able to continue to the meeting in the following backup car. He thinks he is special and doesnt need to obey the law and wear his seat belt. The trooper had his on and no injuries were sustained. Corzine proves he is not worthy of the office he holds. He is supposed to set an example for others especially the young people but he never was known for that.

[cgesualdo]

Uh...if you read the story, you would know that it was "unclear" whether he was wearing his seatbelt. Sometimes, people in seatbelts end up very injured, despite what the media might have us believe. Don't start screaming bad example until you have the facts. The man is seriously injured. Now is not the time to tear him down.

(from another Corzine in the South)

[idlepugilist]

The Governor was on his way to moderate a meeting with basketball players and Imus. What possibly could have made it so important for a Governor to moderate a meeting between an offended group and a vocal offender? Is this to become the norm when the radio hate-spewers get under the skin of the next offended group?
Imus was stupid for making the remark, there's no need for a Governor to become involved in mediation, and there are just enough people offended about Imus getting fired to make this story more important than it should be.
Just like any other person getting fired for bad performance, Imus deserves to be fired for losing the sponsors, and he doesn't deserve the attention so many people want to give out of misplaced pity.
"I'm sorry", said Imus. It's time for America to get over Imus so Governors don't have to waste their time on these stupid situations.

[gangadin-2009]

Never mind injuries, did he get a ticket for not wearing a seat belt.

[cburn665]

Again, Mr. Imus is entitled to say all that he wants. And, for all the people who flocked to listen to him only proves they're as much an undercover racist as him but that's another story.

No, firing him is not the answer to racism, anti-semitism and sexism. But if CBS was paying this clown as he spewed this type of venom toward women, jews and minorities. Surely, CBS didn't expect these groups to continue to support their corporation and subsidiaries.

If he wants to spew his venom, let him invest his money and buy his own radio or tv station. I won't be offended, I just wouldn't watch/listen or support any company that pays him for a spot on his show.

cburns

[crazyivan32]

Obviously the Governor is a racist too since he skipped out on the Rutgers-Imus meeting. Sharpton and Jackson are probably already at the hospital, looming over his bed, demanding an apology (once he regains consciousness). What a couple of garden variety losers those two are. Oh ***, I guess that makes me a racist. I hereby resign from my family, my gardening club, and, since I'm self-employed, I resign from myself too.

The yiddish language has a great term for guys like Sharpton and Jackson. PUTZ.

[truthword]

Bad karma for severely overtaxing New Jersey taxpayers????? God works in mysterious ways, why did he need a motorcade and a bunch of security anyways? The way these people travel around you'd think they'd screwed over millions of people or something.... maybe he should have just barricaded himself inside his princeton mansion....

Now, about five months ago I got a call from an individual by the name of Joe Long, who runs a group called Federation of New Jersey Tax Payers. He called me up on a Sunday morning. He goes, "Walter, we just got New Jersey's 1998 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. They have $295 billion in liquid investment funds. Isn't that awful?" I said, "Joe, you're just looking at the state report. There's 21 counties, a couple hundred cities and municipalities, autonomous agencies - all separate reports. If you take the composite totals of the liquid investment funds, you're well in excess of $1.2 trillion. If you take the population of New Jersey and divide it into $1.2 trillion, that comes out to a cash allocation of $146,000 per man, woman and child living in the state or family of four (sic) [five], that equals seven hundred and some odd thousand dollars. The obfuscation of the wealth has been excessive.
http://www.nonwo.com/biggestgame/

[crazyivan32]

Obviously the Governor is a racist too since he skipped out on the Rutgers-Imus meeting. Sharpton and Jackson are probably already at the hospital, looming over his bed, demanding an apology (once he regains consciousness). What a couple of garden variety losers those two are. Oh ***, I guess that makes me a racist. I hereby resign from my family, my gardening club, and, since I'm self-employed, I resign from myself too.

The yiddish language has a great term for guys like Sharpton and Jackson. PUTZ.

[idlepugilist]

Hooray for hating CBS and Sharpton and everyone else! Let's forget that Imus was an idiot for making a low-life, sleezy remark about women he didn't know. Let's say that CBS is evil for firing Imus just because Imus was an idiot who drove away corporate sponsorship. And let's say Sharpton is somehow responsible for Imus being viewed as an idiot.
CBS doesn't give major airtime to sleezy hip-hop "artists" because of their sleeze. Imus deserves to be fired because he should be held to higher standards for his announcing job. Perhaps Imus' firing will help start a slow snowball effect with cleaning up sleeze in rap and hip-hop; we can only hope. In the meantime, Imus is causing CBS to lose money. Given that simple statement, you wouldn't be able to keep your job, either, if you caused your company to lose money.

[iceman_1960]

Jon Corzine is America's only bearded governor.

[jimgoff]

My understanding about seat belt laws is that if a passenger in the car is not beleted and you are caught the driver gets a ticket. So the State Police person who was driving needs a ticket. Next what a role model expample this governor must be by everyone knowing that he does not like to wear his seat belt. Wait a minute - who is this bad person that is talking about a governor when he is down and in the hospital. It is me you know one of those tax payers who ends up footing the hospital bill for these folks. Little things like this just adds to our not trusting these elected folks. The pass laws that we must follow but they are exempt. Hello - I do hope he gets better and is able to recover from this car accident, and yes the Imus haters can say. Look if Imus had not said those words the governor whould not have been making that trip.

[ihatebush1]

Good Morning "truthword",

You made me laugh. maybe you should think about going into politcal commentary or comedy... =)

But come on if you do not hate people that aren't like you, then don't say hateful things. I was very angry by what I heard Imus say.

Sorry that guyz like Jackson and Sharpton led the charge in the media, and I too wish that some other prominent voice could have argued against Imus' very disgusting words and phrases.

But let's be honest about something. If I or you verbally attack people that do not look like us or that do not come from our back ground, we just might get a good beat down.

I wouldn't want to insult anyone of my race or gender, let alone any other group of people.

And just because I heard a bunch of women calling each other names and joking about it for example, that doesn't make it okay for me to use the same words as they do. That's called being an adult.

[sharibe]

The posted commentary reflects the sad state this country is in, and the disregard for our fellow Americans and human beings.

I wish the Gov. a speedy recovery to health as these type of injuries are quite painful and depressing.

My family will be praying for you Gov. and I wish you well!!

[sharibe]

The posted commentary reflects the sad state this country is in, and the disregard for our fellow Americans and human beings.

I wish the Gov. a speedy recovery to health as these type of injuries are quite painful and depressing.

My family will be praying for you Gov. and I wish you well!!

[dickyounger]

The governor would gladly confiscate every firearm you own, pompously telling you that "you must obey the law." Yet he can't even obey a simple seatbelt law!

[oxmyx-2009]

Didntinhale should have. Maybe it would have dislodged the iron rod from his ***.

[ckcool192000]

Wow, great role model.

If the govener doesn't wear a saftey belt, why should I?

[jetlizhan]

was riding with a state trooper and didn't have on his seat belt? d@mn! unbelievable.

[inventagod2]

"Wow, great role model.

If the govener doesn't wear a saftey belt, why should I?
Posted by ckcool192000 at 02:01 PM : Apr 13, 2007"

I know your reply was a joke, but the guy would have probably walked away with bumps and bruises...

[fizzal-2009]

Now just where is that
lt. govener that was suposedly unnessary position? Now your gona get that Cody back again and maybee he can tell you when ya run out of money too run the place and close down the casinos, just go too circuit city and get video equpment and when you go back too work you can watch high speed video of gambling, because when everybody doesn,t work the federal gov,t doesn,t get paid.

[houchin21]

you should stop talking about the seatbelt, yes he should have been wearing one but he got hurt and all you can talk about is him not wearing a seatbelt


(HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT)

[coyotebrains]

I may not agree with the Governor's position in some cases, but he is a human being and dedicated public servant who deserves our respect and prayers for his present condition. I am sure that he will acknowledge his regret for not wearing a seatbelt, if it proves out that he was not wearing one, and I am also sure that he will most likely be an avid supporter in the future of complying with the seatbelt law.
Regarding the Imus situation, the only parties that matter are Imus and the basketball tema. Now that they have accepted this apology, then the matter should be closed.

[gunownerdan]

Let this be a lesson.
Wearing a seatbelt can mean the difference between a few small bruises or scratches, and serious injury or death.

The rest stop there has a really awkward entrance back onto the parkway. Merging from that shoulder is really a pain when there's traffic going 70 mph.

[kalatur2]

Al Sharpton caused this crash.

[elgraz]

A very stupid remark amigo inventagod2,
Who should give a craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap what anyone else does. We all have a brain and free choice, use them. If you are stupid and arrogant enough not to put on a safety belt while driving because it's not the "macho" thing to do, then you deserve to get what you get amigo. I am sure that Corzine will wear a seat belt from now on when in a vehicle. after he goes to and fro in his wheelchair.

[kansas1946]

So effing what if he was not wearing a seat belt. Wearing or not wearing a seat belt is a person's own choice. I am so sick of this culture of blame in our country. It doesn't matter what happens, or who gets hurt, we are looking for someone to blame. He is the one suffering the consequences for his actions, not us. I can't believe this is even a headline on this news page. Pathetic.

[thgdriver]

buckle up! It's not only a good idea, it's the law! Click it or ticket!

Actually, I wear my seat belt all the time and tell others in my car/suv to put them on also. I just don't like big brother (our government) telling me I have to.

[thgdriver]

The Governor sure went to an extreme just to get out of that meeting.

[randalds]

Now if we can just get Bush to never wear a seat belt. Naw, we'd never be that lucky.

[sandy19731]

Well, let's see if he had been wearing a seatbelt, how much less would the hospital bill be?
Not to mention the helicopter ride, the one that took my Dad to the hospital 10 years ago was about $10,000.00 don't imagine they have gone down much.

Now, I wonder who is going to pay...could it be the taxpayers....

Healthcare is to expensive as it is, put your seatbelts on.

[dog-x8]

Did the red Ford pickup make contact with the other vehicle? In the article it seems like all the "BLAME" is going to this person in the red truck. What happened to the people in the other vehicle? If the Gov. had died would the driver of the red pickup be charged with vehicular manslaughter? If he would have had his seat belt on he might have just gotten some bumps and bruises. I wear my seatbelt. Always have always will. Don't need anyone to tell me to have common sence.

[dog-x8]

RandalDS, You are a trip!! lol

[randalds]

RandalDS, You are a trip!! lol
Posted by dog-x8 at 12:05 AM : Apr 14, 2007

Thanks, but my wife says the next trip I go on won't be our Mexican cruise this fall, but be on a blacked-out window plane to Cuba. Says she'll go on the Mexican cruise by herself then. Nice to know she's in my corner. lol!

[j0hnwi11iams]

SOME americans are stupid a holes. Take a course in logic, moron.

Also, the sign of not wearing a seatbelt is HEAD injuries. I won't hold my breath waiting for all the retractions.