Flashing Lights and Corzine's Health

Did the flashing lights used by Corzine's vehicle help precipitate the chain of events that led to Gov. Corzine suffering massive injuries in a car crash? That seems to be a distinct possibility as accident investigators continue their probe into the crash.

When State Trooper Robert Rasinski flicked on the emergency flashing lights in the SUV he was driving Thursday evening with Gov. Jon Corzine at his side, it was intended to be an act of precaution and safety.

Its effect was the opposite, setting off a series of events ending in a horrific car accident on the Garden State Parkway that left the governor critically injured.

When Kenneth Potts saw the flashing lights in the rearview mirror of the red pickup truck he was driving, he pulled over to the shoulder to allow the approaching vehicle to pass, according to State Police reports. But the 20-year-old restaurant worker momentarily lost control of his truck and swerved back into traffic, which caused another vehicle to force the governor's Chevrolet Suburban into a guardrail.

Corzine remains in critical but stable condition at Cooper University Medical Center in Camden, facing a long and challenging rehabilitation.

The use of the emergency flashers by the governor's Executive Protection Unit is not uncommon. They are routinely used to clear the roadway ahead, according to David Jones, president of the State Troopers Fraternal Association, their labor union.

"There are methodologies employed that are directly related to the security aspect of the detail where they are required to use those lights to create a safe zone for the motorcade," Jones said.

But in the pre-9/11 world, the use of emergency flashers was virtually nonexistent, according to former Gov. Thomas H. Kean.

There's a related question of whether the Governor's trip from Atlantic City to the Governor's mansion in Princeton even qualified as an emergency. The governor was en route to the mansion for a sit down between Imus and the Rutgers lady's basketball team. That meeting occurred despite Corzine's absence.

As for Corzine's condition, he's expected to be taken off breathing assistance today following another surgical procedure on his shattered leg. Yesterday he had to undergo a procedure to remove fluid buildup around his lung.

UPDATE:
Today's surgical procedure involved placing a tube into his chest and damaged thigh to remove fluid buildup.

The governor suffered cuts to his head, but appears to have normal brain function, doctors said. On the Glasgow coma scale — a measure of neurological function — the governor rated an 11 of 13 points, they said. Eleven is the highest rating achievable for a patient who, because of intubation, cannot speak.

A scan Monday showed no signs of clot in the leg, and the governor continued to be free of infection. Those complications, and pneumonia, are the major threats to patients with such extensive injuries.

He is receiving nutrition from a feeding tube, the surgeons said, and physical therapists have started some level of treatment. The governor will face months of rehabilitation, likely with walkers and canes.

“As far as the leg, he’s got a long haul ahead of him,” Ostrum said. In time, he said, the governor should be able to walk normally.