Corzine crash...the aftermath

"I'm New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, and I should be dead," begins a new public service ad promoting seat belt use released ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. The governor was critically injured last month when his state trooper-driven SUV was clipped by a pickup truck on the Garden State Parkway. His SUV was traveling 91 mph in a 65 mph zone. Corzine wasn't wearing a seat belt and sustained fractures of his leg, collar bone, sternum, and 11 ribs. The trooper driving the SUV was wearing his belt and had minor injuries.

In the ad, Corzine states that he lost more than half of his blood, spent eight days in intensive care, and had to use a ventilator. He continues, "it took a remarkable team of doctors and a series of miracles to save my life when all I needed was a seat belt...I have to live with my mistake. You don't. Buckle up."

On your way home from Memorial Day activities today, remember his words. And control your speed. These can save your life!

Corzine crash revisited

More has now been revealed in New Jersey about last week's vehicle crash involving Governor Corzine. The onboard event data recorder ("black box") determined his SUV was traveling 91 mph just before the crash.

The other drivers were just trying to get out of the way when the collision occurred between Corzine's SUV and a pickup truck, with the Suburban then going to the left and hitting a guardrail at 30 mph, again according to the EDR. Corzine wasn't belted and was severely injured. He's lucky to be alive. The state trooper driving the SUV was belted and sustained only minor injuries.

And what was the "emergency" that caused the furious pace (26 mph over the speed limit)? They were rushing to the governor's mansion for a meeting between Don Imus and the Rutger's women's basketball team!

Governor Corzine caught not using seat belt

While I sincerely hope that Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey fully recovers from the injuries suffered yesterday evening as a result of a vehicle crash on the Garden State Parkway, I can't believe he wasn't wearing a seat belt while riding in the right front seat of his state-trooper driven Chevy Suburban:

Eyewitness News -- Channel 7, New York

(New York - WABC, April 13, 2007) - Officials say New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine was apparently not wearing a seat belt when his SUV crashed on the Garden State Parkway Thursday night.

I mean, he's not a gun-totin' ''live free or die" right-wing rugged individualist as far as I know. Does he expect his state police escort to magically part traffic like the Red Sea so his car will never hit another one? If anything, he certainly sets a poor example when seat belt use has been mandatory in his state since 1985 (and is now the law in all other states except New Hampshire). I can only hope he learns something from this incident.