NJSP in trouble for leading Rally down GSP

[M-Velope]

nj.com
TRENTON — Facing allegations that two State Police troopers escorted a caravan of luxury sports cars in excess of 100 mph down the Garden State Parkway last month, the Christie administration said today that authorities will take swift action against those involved.
"This is a very serious and disturbing matter for a couple of reasons but particularly in terms of the disregard for public safety by all those allegedly involved," a spokesman for Christie, Michael Drewniak, told The Star-Ledger in a prepared statement.
Drewniak said Christie, a former U.S. Attorney in New Jersey who often boasts of his record of being tough on crime and corruption, is confident the State Police and Attorney General’s Office "will act swiftly and appropriately after all the facts are verified and considered."
A spokesman for Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, Paul Loriquet, said the matter was being taken "very seriously" and that New Jerseyans can expect accountability.
"This is a very disturbing situation, one that the attorney general and the superintendent of the state police take very seriously," Loriquet said. "Anyone responsible for this incident clearly exercised extremely poor judgment. Swift action will be taken upon completion of our investigation."
The matter also drew condemnation from the Legislature.
"Public safety must always be paramount," Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) said in a prepared statement. "I’m hopeful the investigation will determine exactly what happened here, and if wrongdoing is found those responsible must be held accountable."
State Police Col. Rick Fuentes did not return an e-mail and phone call seeking comment.
The responses came hours after The Sunday Star-Ledger disclosed charges that on the afternoon of March 30, two patrol cars with their emergency lights flashing led and trailed the southbound caravan en route to Atlantic City. Witnesses said the caravan included 25 to 30 Porsches, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other vehicles, all with their license plates covered with tape.
One witness, Wayne Gantt of Little Egg Harbor Township, dubbed the escort "Death Race 2012." He and another witness, John Kennedy of Madison, filed complaints with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which oversees the Parkway. They said many cars struggled to get out of the way, including one driven by an older woman who panicked and almost wound up in a ditch.
The complaints were obtained Friday by The Star-Ledger using the Open Public Records Act.
The occupants of the caravan included former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, according to a source with knowledge of the trip. Jacobs’ agent, Justin Schulman, when asked to confirm that the NFL player was part of the luxury car blitz, told The Sunday Star-Ledger: "Brandon was part of a group that went down to Atlantic City on March 30."
Schulman expanded on his comments today in an e-mail statement, saying, "Brandon did go to (Atlantic City) that day but wasn’t aware of the details of the police escort."
Four sources familiar with the trip, including two law enforcement sources, said the caravan was led by Sgt. 1st Class Nadir Nassry of Phillipsburg, an assistant station commander in Totowa. Nassry could not be reached for comment, and no one answered when a reporter knocked on the front door of his home today.
The sources requested anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss the matter.
A spokesman for the State Police, Lt. Stephen Jones, has declined to say if the caravan was authorized by top brass and did not identify the troopers involved, citing the confidentiality of the investigation. Jones also declined today to comment on Nassry’s prior driving record as a trooper.
If the sports cars in the caravan had their license plates covered with tape, as witnesses said they did, they broke the law, according to Mike Horan, a spokesman for the state Motor Vehicle Commission. A first offense is punishable with a fine of up to $100.

[dailyferraridriver]

We did this all the time in Ohio - didn't think it would fly in NJ.

Erik

[zjpj]

WSJ article also mentioned the Hamilton Jewelers event

[Doug_S]

I don't think the press even tries to get it right anymore. The WSJ headline is

"NJ Police Suspended in Drag Race"

Racing on a public road is, I believe, more serious than speeding 45 mph over the limit. Racing is more dangerous. My understanding of a drag race is a race from a stop. A car stopped on the garden state without flashers would be hit from behind in about 30 seconds on average.

Nothing in the article of anyone even accusing the drivers of racing.

[JOEA2]

I have been to one of these a couple of years ago. It is a Race out of every toll booth and it was dangerous in traffic. I have never seen people taping over their plates.

Joe

[FasterIsBetter]

These days with cell phones that take good video, it's hard for anyone to get away with these things. I was on a rally last fall in Westchester, and a few people got a little carried away with how fast their cars would go. Several "locals" called 911 to report a group of "Red Corvettes" speeding and driving aggressively. The cops showed up at a rest stop and read the riot act to the leader of the group. It was pointed out that no one in our group was driving a Corvette, but the cops were not impressed. No tickets issued, but stern warnings were given about speeding and other bad driving conduct.

I think it is likely that there will be fewer of these "police escort" drives on the public highways as a result of the publicity. I wonder if this is also going to mean an end to the AC Expressway annual fun run?

[Foncool]

This is a no win situation especially in an election year and this election even more. This is tailor made for some politician to make a name for themselves grab headlines attacking "the rich, arrogant 1% that don't pay their fair share and think the rules don't apply to them!"

If you want to drive fast do it on a track away from the General Public.

[mtesh73]

"everything is illegal in massachusetts", always makes me say "everything is illegal in new jersey".

[MK1044]

Originally Posted by Doug_S

I don't think the press even tries to get it right anymore. The WSJ headline is "NJ Police Suspended in Drag Race"

They got it right. They meant this one:

You Tube

You Tube

[Foncool]

Originally Posted by MK1044

They got it right. They meant this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6zzu...eature=related

That started as an SNL skit in '76 with Eric Idle and Dan Aykroyd. It showed the Christmas tree lights then went to those two in Drag running down a Drag Strip.

[Doug_S]

Originally Posted by JOEA2

I have been to one of these a couple of years ago. It is a Race out of every toll booth and it was dangerous in traffic. I have never seen people taping over their plates.

Joe

Not to be picky but, what you do or see on one of your runs is not relevant to a major newspaper printing a headline about what they say factually occurred in NJ. the people who wrote the article and the headline did not witness the behavior. Not one person cited in the article accused anyone of participating in a race, let alone a drag race.

The Wall Street Journal simply ginned up a fictitious "drag race" and ran it as the headline.

My comment was not directed at the behavior of the participants (which was probably as dangerous as the behavior of then Governor Corzine when he sped down the GSP to a press event with State Police escort and wrecked). My comment was directed at the deliberately misleading and sensationalized press coverage.

[Doug_S]

Originally Posted by MK1044

They got it right. They meant this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6zzu...eature=related

So Brandon Jacobs was driving in heels?