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Subscribe to RSSTwo state troopers have been suspended over allegations they provided an “unauthorized escort” to a group of sports cars -- including one driven by football star Brandon Jacobs -- driving at high speeds in New Jersey.
The convoy of cars, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches and others, traveled at speeds in excess of 100 mph down the Garden State Parkway to Atlantic City last month, according to The Star-Ledger newspaper. They also traveled on the New Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway.
The paper said witnesses had made complaints to police about the caravan -- which one witness dubbed "Death Race 2012" -- saying they saw patrol cars with emergency lights flashing at the front and rear of the sports cars.
The Star-Ledger also obtained amateur video footage of a caravan of luxury cars allegedly being escorted by state police at high speed on the Garden State Parkway in 2010. It is not known which officers were involved in this convoy.
Watch video of a 2010 convoy obtained by The Star-Ledger (video contains offensive language):
A statement released late Monday by the attorney general’s office said Sgt. First Class Nadir Nassry, 47, a trooper for 25 years, and Trooper Joseph Ventrella, 28, who has six years’ service, had been suspended without pay in relation to the incident last month.
An unnamed station commander was also transferred “until any potential involvement on his part has been determined,” the statement said.
“We will not tolerate any conduct by a member of the State Police that puts the public in jeopardy, as this unauthorized caravan had the potential to do,” Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said, according to the statement. “We are thoroughly investigating this incident, and those responsible will face serious discipline."
Lt. Stephen Jones, a spokesman for the state police, said investigators would be looking to see if there were any incidents in addition to the one last month and the one in 2010.
“You better believe they are looking hard to see if there are any more; they are certainly checking that,” he told msnbc.com.
Charles Sciarra, an attorney representing Nassry, said in an email that state police officials had canceled a scheduled interview with his client and "simply suspended him without pay."
"This change of course was taken only after tabloid-like headlines appeared on the cover of Star Ledger over the last two days. The headlines scream 'Death Race 2012' when in fact these charitable organizations routinely ask and receive escorts from the State Police to and from the various charitable functions they attend with their exotic vehicles," Sciarra said. "This practice has been in effect for years."
PFT: 'We are thoroughly investigating this incident'
He added that "allegations of recklessness and speeds in the triple digits will not bear out" regarding the escort in question.
"We hope that the powers that be will take a breath, exhale and engage in a fair investigative process with which we will continue to cooperate. Either way, we will not permit Sgt. Nassry to be sacrificed to satisfy a public-relations agenda," Sciarra said.
Jacobs unaware
Jacobs’ agent, Justin Schulman, confirmed that his client, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers, went to Atlantic City on the day in question, March 30.
But, he said, "Brandon wasn't aware the escort was authorized or unauthorized."
The Star-Ledger reported that Michael Breen, a founding member of an elite New York City group of sports car enthusiasts called Driving Force Club, wrote on Facebook about a “very fun” run with Jacobs. He appeared in a photo with Jacobs, who was wearing a blue vest with a New Jersey State Police emblem, The Star-Ledger found.
The paper quoted Gov. Chris Christie as saying he “just shook my head” when he heard about the allegations.
"What are you going to do? It’s a completely ridiculous story. Shouldn’t have happened. Dumb thing to do, but let me assure you it’s not the last dumb thing we’ll see happen," Christie told a crowd at a bill-signing event in Newark.
"People are human beings," he added. "They make mistakes. Those people who made this mistake should be held accountable, and I’m sure they will. And I’m glad nobody got hurt."
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Leave a Comment:
What a joke. Perfectly dry day, and when you look, they really weren't that fast
Raise the stupid limits as they're too low
No one was close to being endangered, other than gawking at cars they could never afford
Most exceed the stupid limits, and many exceed it by a large amount from time to time.
Just another way that a government trys to control it's people - by making up stupid speed limits
What a waste of time
Whats sad, most can't competently drive a car at 100 or above, so I just hope all these people that owned these cars took the driving skill classes that are available to teach you how to drive the cars correctly
But, I know thats normally not the truth as these are just expensive toys for people with free money
It's fine that you can afford one, just learn how to drive it
Maybe create superspeeder lanes where you can pay a fee and drive as fast as you want - almost like a pay as you go autobahn
Actually, some manufacturer's like Ferrari insist on performance driving certification before they will sell you a new car. Same is not true for the used market however.
These cars are designed to drive fast, and are much more stable than the average auto. For example, they use ground-effects to actually increase the down-force of the car to the pavement, improving traction and steering. They have better suspensions and superior brakes. Most American, and import, cars actually loose contact force to the pavement when driven fast. They have suspensions designed to wallow and absorb road shock for that boulevard ride, and brakes better suted for the parking lot than the highway.
I agree that driving fast does require different skill sets. 30 years ago or better, I drove fast in a Fiat 124 coupe. Fun little car, but in retrospect, thoroughly lacking in the requirements to be driven fast.
Oddly, anyone over 21 in the US can get an unrestricted driver's license by passing a written test on traffic laws and by taking an examiner or policeman for a 5minute ride to demonstrate the ability to drive, usually in town only. They can then license, and hopefully insure, any vehicle with a valid title and take to the highway.
The guys in the car are acting like they never saw rich people before. Bush boys.
This is a huge waste of local law enforcement resources, but I don't see why everyone is in an uproar about the people with the nice cars? They got a break from the local fuzz, (who prob got paid for it) and got an escort to AC..
My take on all the haters who have screamed unfairness and endangerment is this. Envy. Someone else has a toy that you can't afford, and this makes you angry.
You feel that this group gets unfair treatment? County and city cops in my town escort virtually every FUNERAL procession, usually doing less than 45mph on the 55-65mph highways, which by the way it is illegal to pass or interrupt.
They also frequently escort motorcycle "poker runs" for charity. We even close Main Street for the local car club once or twice a year. And none of these folks are wealthy by any definition. I even have a qualifying car, and will soon start working on a second.
But the haters just think it is wrong or immoral that such cars exist, or that some people can afford them.
Damn wish i was in on that parade! To all of the complainers get the fuk outta the left lane you tards! Freeways Turnpikes, Expressways etc. are meant for higher speeds and the point being to get from A to B as expeditiously as possible.With our society now its fast,faster and fastest! Dont like it, stick to a highway..
I personally would contribute to an all new autobahn system that only allows specially licensed operators.I wouldnt even have a problem if they want to charge a higher license rate. The money from the driving courses and licensing goes directly for those roads.That way folks that dont use it dont get taxed for it and dont complain. Only problem with this idea is your local government wont be able to squeeze ya dry.
I'd go with that. See you on the Autobahn. Be there in August. Hope to do the ring.
You REALLY want to see an Autobahn in the USA? Hehehehe...that's funny in itself.
Absolutely, an Autobahn in the US would be a good thing. State Troopers could direct their attention to other more important matters, like actual criminal activity, and we could provide driver education courses all over again so that people would be schooled in how to drive. One rule, keep right and yield to the faster vehicles behind you; and secondly, drive and pay attention. The highway is no place to gab on the phone or text, or put on your make up, or eat your lunch, etc. It would also be helpful to increase the cost and time associated with actually attaining a driver license instead of just handing them out to anyone who can recognize a picture of a railroad crossing.
noticed these common shenanigans since I started driving back in '85...nothing new here
So how many people were killed or injured in this "death race"?
Colin, the question should be how many people could have been maimed for life or killed in this totally frivolous and needless joy ride??
Yet another example of minimal, cost-conscious "conservative" government - what an eff-ing joke! Republican morons, your heroes are all liars and/or fat loudmouth hypocrites and/or vacuous pin-head women who think our founding fathers freed the slaves. Anyone still voting Republican is a slack-jawed, willfully-ignorant tool for forces that are bending them over - and you are enemies of the American way of life. F you, F your bigoted and bloated heroes, and you will rot in Hell for your crimes against your fellow Americans and humanity. Just not soon enough.
Hopefully the douchebag filming gets a nice fat ticket for speeding, cutting vehicles off, and running red lights since they got themselves on camera for it. They're screaming like school girls the entire time.
As for the Officers conduct... if its something they're allowed to do (escort for fundraisers and such)... then I don't see a problem with it. If they got paid for it on the side and it wasn't authorized... then of course shame on them.
Christie's attitude of "let boys be boys" is utterly unacceptable: innocent people could have died or been seriously injured during this so called "caravan fun run" and to have the Governor treat it so casually is a sign he's still got a juvenile mindset inside that fat rolypoly body of his.
The rationale for the troopers actions is simple, they feel they are the law and can do as they please. They made friends with the rich and famous, i.e., a football star and showed their big deal friends what power they possessed by zooming them around everyone else to AC for fun and games. The ranking trooper will be demoted as he was the senior officer and what happens to the other guy depends on any previous disciplinary actions.
Not to worry- the rich fatcats will get lawyers involved and have the charges thrown out because they want to rely on such escorts in the future. Afterall, they're more special than anyone else with their high end sports cars and the little people better keep out of their way
Listening to some of these bloggers angrily rant about why these wackos should be allowed the "privilege" to weave through heavy traffic on a public road should scare the hell out of all the rest of us!
Want to speed? Go rent yourself a closed track and have your fun. Then when an accident does happen, it'll only be your obituary we'll be reading about and not the one of some innocent soul trying to get home with his paycheck in his pocket to provide for his family!
The best part is when a cop is shown on the side, having pulled over a normal person, probably for speeding, lol.
And these same troopers will write us a ticket for going 5 fukking miles over the speed limit!
Jerks!
To all you people trying to crucify the kids who did the videotaping, don't condemn the messenger; they should get a commendation from the state for exposing what they got on that tape! Giving all those hotshots in their top end sports cars a 60 day dose of hard jail time, shining shoes and performing other wifely duties for their own personal bubba, and these these "fun runs" would come to a screeching halt!
After the next race maybe the police will let them taze homeless people.
Oh my god, being rich is fun.
Romney 2012
Driving 100 mph for police is not that unusual . I use to drive with a state trooper that use to drive 90 mph just to go to meetings . When I was training to become a sheriff many years ago the officers I drove with many times exceeded 100 mph just to get back to the station before going home . I have been to 220 km in Germany . Funny thing is there are less accidents in Germany than in America . When you drive at high speed you have to pay attention to what you are doing . At 70 mph people in America are texting .
Well said. It is not so much the speed itself, but inattentiveness and the differential in speed; i.e. knuckleheads in the left lane going 65 mph.
Oops ... news but certainly nothing new. The news to me is that everyone does not know that such things do and always have happened all the time, all over.
If these two idiot NJ State Troopers and their luxury cars all going 100+ mph had a multi-car pile-up causing the death of an innocent couple and their six kids, a school bus full of children, and a lot more fatalities, they ALL could OWN the STATE OF NJ!!!!!!!!!!!
I see your point, but really do you want to "own" a debt-ridden stretch of contaminated soil and groundwater? I take that back - really unkind. There are a lot of nice places in NJ.
Keg Pack, If you really wanted to "take that back", you could always just have erased your copy. But you're right on one point: some of the most beautful spots in America are in New Jersey.
When all this is said and done: Lets find out how much the troopers made to do this. I figure, as all you probably have surmised: there was some money changing hands...Lets see how much the troopers pocketed.
Endangering the public, and taking money to break the law. I see 2 careers gone.
Fire them. Period. But then again, we have the think blue line to consider. And cops wonder why people hate them.
Just providing the "escort" is one aspect. Local cops provide escorts all the time; once a year basically close RT 80 for a motorcycle run and Sky Line Drive for a local cop charity run, so this is really no different.
However, if the investigation reveals that the troopers received remuneration for their efforts, then that is a totally different story as receipt of compensation outside of payment from their government paycheck would be bribery.
But, the fact that they were speeding is really inconsequential; I have seen it many times in NJ with cops involved; and I have seen the trooper escorts basically back up traffic from Parsippany to Pennsylvania.
I's be more worried about the immature idiots with the camera in the minivan who were tailgating and driving wrecklessly in a vehicle which was never intended to be driven at speed. Those cars they were interfering with are totally capable of handling those situations and so much more, and I'm sure the dtivers were more mature and more experienced drivers than the kids filming and shouting"oh @!$%#" repeatedly. Who actually came close to causing a collision there? Looked to me like it was the boys in their mommy's minivan.
Hey, Shoeless, lighten up. Don't you see the difference between a bunch of lowlife adult brainless bums and some hyper kids like these were. There is not an adult American out here who didn't experience that sort of exhuberance when we were those kids' age...
And, also, you're calling those guys in that convoy "mature"? The fact that they're racing down a highly trafficed public highway* with their noses up each other's asses and can find that lock-in-step activity "fun" tells you about the level of their maturity!
*Add: endangering innocent men, women, and children.
All of the cars can easily exceed 100 mph and quite a few can hit 200 mph. While some are crying how unsafe it was at least it wasn't a solo 200 mph maximum speed run. I don't mind at all this happened. It is actually a good idea. The real dangerous person in that video was the video recording car. Obviously not made for high speed driving and far more likely to lose control and cause an accident while attempting to break up the line of exotic cars. Did anyone notice that or are you still obsessing over the fact that someone has more money than you and you are not happy about it? Jealous much? Would anyone care if it was a caravan of weed smoking Gore's in Prius' exceeding the speed-limit? Probably not!
Joe Done, Don't forget: this was a highly trafficed highway they pulled this stunt on on, not a closed track! Also, how did you ever manage to tie Gore into this madcap, nonsensical escapade??
This is an annual affair. Troopers and State Police all up and down the east coast participate. If they don't participate then they must stop the event.