NJ Gov Corzine badly hurt in Garden State Parkway crash
Posted Fri, 2007-04-13 09:06
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine suffered serious chest and leg injuries in a car crash on the Garden State Parkway Thursday about 6pm, while being driven from Altantic City to his home in Princeton. Corzine was taken with two injured aides by helicopter to Cooper University Hospital in Camden.
Doctors said he suffered "severe trauma" in the crash.
Corzine, 60 was conscious but suffering serious pain and was having some trouble breathing when he arrived at the hospital. He had many broken ribs, a minor lower vertebrae fracture, a damaged sternum, broken collarbone, and lacerations to his head. His most serious injury was to the upper left leg which was badly broken with broken bone poking out through his skin - an "open femur fracture" in the doctor's words.
A doctor who operated on him said the governor lost significant amounts of blood and needed seven bags of blood. Scans of his brain and spinal cord showed no damage. Corzine was put on a respirator to help his breathing which was made difficult by fluids generated by the trauma to his chest and lungs. He is getting intravenous pain killers, sedatives, and nutriment.
The doctor said his life is not in danger now, and that he has responded well to treatment, but that his "rehab" will be significant. He has one pin implanted in his leg already and two more surgeries are planned. Corzine may not be able to walk normally for three to six months, the doctor said.
The accident occurred northbound near mile post 44 near Smithville about 20km (12mi) out of Atlantic City where Corzine had been attending a meeting of mayors. He was due to return to the governors mansion in Princeton to preside at a meeting between the since-fired 'shock jock' radioman Don Imus and the Rutgers University basketball team he had called nappy-headed hos.
Corzine was sitting in the front passenger seat of an official Chevy Tahoe (a heavy SUV) driven by a state trooper. Police blame the accident on a red pickup truck that was driving erratically. It accelerated dangerously into the travel lanes from the shoulder forcing a white pickup truck to swerve in the path of the Governor's vehicle striking it the right front fender.
Unprotected end of guardrail proximate cause of trauma
Corzine's driver lost control and slid sideways. The vehicle's passenger side where the governor was sitting struck the end of a guard rail in the median apparently causing most of the governor's injuries. (Inquiry needed: why wasn't the end of the guard rail buffered?)
A second police car traveling with the Governor's car was not involved in the accident, and they provided first aid and summoned emergency services. The Parkway was closed locally for some time.
A spokesman said Corzine does not appear to have been wearing a seat belt.
Senate President Richard Codey has taken over as acting governor and says Corzine will be back to work as governor hopefully in "a few weeks."
It is unclear whether the Governor's injuries will affect plans to privatize the business of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Corzine had previously said he would announce his plans by the end of this month.
TOLLROADSnews 2007-04-13 (Revised from first post)
Doctors said he suffered "severe trauma" in the crash.
Corzine, 60 was conscious but suffering serious pain and was having some trouble breathing when he arrived at the hospital. He had many broken ribs, a minor lower vertebrae fracture, a damaged sternum, broken collarbone, and lacerations to his head. His most serious injury was to the upper left leg which was badly broken with broken bone poking out through his skin - an "open femur fracture" in the doctor's words.
A doctor who operated on him said the governor lost significant amounts of blood and needed seven bags of blood. Scans of his brain and spinal cord showed no damage. Corzine was put on a respirator to help his breathing which was made difficult by fluids generated by the trauma to his chest and lungs. He is getting intravenous pain killers, sedatives, and nutriment.
The doctor said his life is not in danger now, and that he has responded well to treatment, but that his "rehab" will be significant. He has one pin implanted in his leg already and two more surgeries are planned. Corzine may not be able to walk normally for three to six months, the doctor said.The accident occurred northbound near mile post 44 near Smithville about 20km (12mi) out of Atlantic City where Corzine had been attending a meeting of mayors. He was due to return to the governors mansion in Princeton to preside at a meeting between the since-fired 'shock jock' radioman Don Imus and the Rutgers University basketball team he had called nappy-headed hos.
Corzine was sitting in the front passenger seat of an official Chevy Tahoe (a heavy SUV) driven by a state trooper. Police blame the accident on a red pickup truck that was driving erratically. It accelerated dangerously into the travel lanes from the shoulder forcing a white pickup truck to swerve in the path of the Governor's vehicle striking it the right front fender.
Unprotected end of guardrail proximate cause of trauma
Corzine's driver lost control and slid sideways. The vehicle's passenger side where the governor was sitting struck the end of a guard rail in the median apparently causing most of the governor's injuries. (Inquiry needed: why wasn't the end of the guard rail buffered?)
A second police car traveling with the Governor's car was not involved in the accident, and they provided first aid and summoned emergency services. The Parkway was closed locally for some time.
A spokesman said Corzine does not appear to have been wearing a seat belt.
Senate President Richard Codey has taken over as acting governor and says Corzine will be back to work as governor hopefully in "a few weeks."
It is unclear whether the Governor's injuries will affect plans to privatize the business of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Corzine had previously said he would announce his plans by the end of this month.
TOLLROADSnews 2007-04-13 (Revised from first post)