Gov. Corzine's crash last week may have been one of the worst - and most publicized - wrecks involving a New Jersey state trooper, but it certainly wasn't the first. It was, in fact, the 83d this year.
And it was the third on-duty collision in eight years for Corzine's driver, who was recorded going 91 miles per hour just before the crash that left the governor - not wearing a seatbelt at the time - on a ventilator with a multitude of broken bones.
Since the beginning of 2004, there have been 1,261 accidents involving state police vehicles, according to state police figures. That number includes everything from minor crashes to chase-related collisions.
Capt. Al Della Fave, a spokesman for state police, said that number was relatively low, given "3,000 troopers are working 24/7 driving hundreds of miles each day."
According to state police records from recent years, troopers could have prevented about one-third of the accidents.
Each accident goes through the same review process, by a state police panel that determines whether the trooper's driving contributed to the collision, and whether it was preventable.
Ultimately, it's up to State Police Superintendent Col. Joseph "Rick" Fuentes whether a trooper should be disciplined. And if Fuentes determines a punishment is warranted, he can mete out "everything from a slap on the hand to dismissal," Della Fave said.
Because the April 12 crash was so high-profile and controversial - Trooper Robert Rasinski was going 26 m.p.h. over the speed limit, police emergency lights flashing, to get Corzine to a meeting at the governor's mansion with radio host Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team - Fuentes has asked others to get involved in what otherwise would be a review of state police practices by fellow troopers.
The review board typically has six members, including several officers from the state police Traffic Bureau and a noncommissioned officer who is an instructor with the Training Bureau. All are appointed by Fuentes.
(In Pennsylvania, state police say they have no accident review board. A troop commander, a spokeswoman said, would review the crash and determine what action, if any, should be taken against the trooper.)
