91 In A 65
I remember watching a news report while I lived in New York State. The report, teased endlessly for several days before it aired, was an investigative piece titled (I think) "Trooper Speed." It showed hidden camera video of New York State Police troopers routinely driving at excessive speeds in non-emergency situations. They filmed the troopers and used radar to clock them. Some of them were driving at speeds that would get you or I a license revocation or jail time. Or both. No lights, no sirens, no emergency. Just a very high rate of speed. Why am I writing this? Because the "black box" (that many people do not know is installed on their vehicles by car makers) recovered from the SUV that Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey was injured in was traveling at 91 miles per hour just before the crash that badly injured him.
TRENTON, N.J. - The sport utility vehicle carrying Gov. Jon S. Corzine was traveling about 91 mph moments before it crashed, the superintendent of state police 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 SUV 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 broke his left thigh bone, 11 ribs, collarbone and chest bone. He also fractured a vertebrae in his lower back.
He remained in critical but stable condition Tuesday and doctors were assessing when he might be ready to breathe without a ventilator. Spokesman Anthony Coley said Tuesday the governor was showing improvement.
Doctors have said he doesn't have brain damage or paralysis, and is doing well for someone who sustained so many injuries.
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.
There may have been perfectly good reasons for the speed, but this is murkier all the time. Corzine's injuries appear to confirm that he was not wearing a seatbelt and the SUV appears to have been rocketing down the highway at an excessive rate of speed. Someone will have some explaining to do. And voters should be asking the questions.
By OldeForce, Tuesday, 17 April , 2007 @ 10:30 pm
At that speed, a Suburban is not the most stable platform to begin with, especially if you need to take a sudden move to avoid an accident. The vehicle dynamics are crap, and the “anti-sway” and “anti-skid” options [if on this SUV] work a lot better at lower speeds. I’ve seen large SUVs [thanks to folks at a local driving school] recover from violent lane changes, seem to be going straight, then spin. Seems the suspension pieces that have gone up down and sideways decide to let all that contained energy go. And around - or up and over - you go.
Bottom line: fasten your seat belt.
By Chris, Wednesday, 18 April , 2007 @ 5:34 am
According to my ex-brother-in-law, who is a cop in Collinsville, cops do not have to obey traffic laws. They can do anything they want, short of reckless endangerment, with or without sirens or lights. At least in Illinois.
By TourPro, Wednesday, 18 April , 2007 @ 7:07 am
We’ve had a couple of accidents recently both involving speed and unrestrained passengers.
On a separate note, I work on I87 and the NYS Troopers here do an exemplary job. I think with fewer cars on the road it is easier to enforce speed. We average 70-72mph. As soon as you get near Albany, the speed limit drops to 55mph and average speed increases to 75mph!