NJ Governor Crashed at 91 MPH

Gov. John Corzine of New Jersey, who at last report was still on a ventilator and facing additional surgery, was injured in a state SUV which was traveling 91 mph when it crashed:

Leading up to the accident in which Gov. Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey was critically injured, the state trooper at the wheel of his sport utility vehicle was driving at 91 miles per hour, the superintendent of the state police said this afternoon.

In a telephone news conference, the superintendent, Col. Rick Fuentes, said: “With regard to the speed of the governor’s vehicle, all investigative data points to a speed of approximately 91 m.p.h. five seconds before impact with the guide rail. The vehicle’s speed at the time of impact with the guide rail was approximately 30 m.p.h.”

The speed of 90 m.p.h. is the equivalent of 132 feet a second — or put another way, in two and one-third seconds a vehicle moving at that speed could travel farther than the length of a football field. ...

In his news conference today, however, Colonel Fuentes said: “My initial information was that it didn’t appear at the time that speed was a factor. I was giving out information I had at the time.”

Asked if he now thought speed had been a factor in the accident, he said: “What do you think? Speed is always a factor.”

You combine 91 mph with no seat belt and it's pretty clear why the governor was injured so badly. I think this also explains why no charges were brought against the driver of the car whose reentry onto the freeway caused the 2nd vehicle to swerve into the governor's SUV. I don't think any reasonable person would expect that the oncoming traffic would be going that fast.