Republican News Headlines
No ticket for Christie in '02 wreck
September 5, 2009
A motorcyclist was hurt when the then-U.S. attorney turned the wrong way.
TRENTON - New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher J. Christie was not issued a traffic ticket after a 2002 accident that sent a motorcyclist to the hospital.
Christie, the state's top federal prosecutor at the time of the accident, was driving to the swearing-in of Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow in Elizabeth when he lost his way, police records show.
As Christie started to turn the wrong way down a one-way street, the oncoming motorcyclist braked; the bike fell and slid into the car Christie was driving, according to the police report.
The accident was first reported by the Newark Star-Ledger.
Motorcyclist Andre Mendonca, who was taken to University Hospital in Newark, refused to comment yesterday. His lawyer, Stanley Marcus, said he didn't remember the seven-year-old accident or how the matter was settled.
Essex County Court records show that a civil suit Mendonca filed in April 2004 was dismissed three months later. The records do not specify whether the case was settled. An official in the county records office said the case file had been destroyed.
Christie campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella called the accident unfortunate and said the candidate "knows he can always be a better driver."
New Jersey motor vehicle records show that Christie has been involved in six accidents but was not ticketed in any. He also has accumulated 25 points over the years; he is currently a driver in good standing.
Elizabeth Police Director James Cosgrove said Christie identified himself as the state's U.S. attorney after the motorcycle accident. He said the car, a rented BMW, was towed, and Christie continued on to the swearing-in. It is not known how he got there.
Because there were no witnesses, he said the responding officer had discretion over whether to issue a ticket.
"If the officer had seen the accident, he would have definitely issued a summons in this case," Cosgrove said.
Asked whether Christie's position could have influenced the decision not to issue a ticket, he said: "The report is the report. The facts are there. You can make your own deduction at that point."
This is not the first time Christie's driving record has been an issue in the gubernatorial campaign. He was stopped for speeding in Lambertville in 2005 and issued three tickets. He pleaded guilty to downgraded charges and paid fines.
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Kevin O'Toole
Position: Senator
Date: 9/25/09
Contact: 973-237-1360
DeCroce and O'Toole call for special investigator to review Corzine's hedge fund investments. Republican legislators also plan to introduce legislation requiring blind trusts for Governor's investments.
