Christie was driving a rented BMW sedan and apparently had lost his way when he attempted to turn right onto a street that was one-way in the other direction, according to the police report. A motorcyclist, Andre Mendonca of Elizabeth, was riding towards Christie, and both men saw one another and put on the brakes, police said. Christie's vehicle came to a stop, and the motorcycle then "fell on its side and slid into his vehicle," according to the police report.
Mendonca was taken by ambulance to University Hospital in Newark, Cosgrove said. He said he did not know the extent of Mendonca's injuries or "the seriousness of the condition." Mendonca could not be reached for comment tonight.
When an officer arrived at the scene, Christie explained what happened and said he was on his way to the swearing-in ceremony of Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow, Cosgrove said.
"He did identify himself as U.S. attorney," Cosgrove said.
Christie's car was towed from the scene, and Christie was allowed to continue on to the swearing-in event, which was about eight or 10 blocks from the scene of the accident, Cosgrove said.
The article goes into more detail and y'all should read it in full.
Here's the kicker...
"The officer has a lot of discretion at that point," Cosgrove said. "He could've issued a summons in that case, but he did not."
Asked whether Christie's job title factored into the officer's decision, Cosgove said, "I don't think I want to make that kind of deduction, but I think the facts speak for themselves." (emphasis added)
Let's face it. It would have taken lots of guts for a cop to have issued the sitting US Attorney a ticket...or it would have taken a cop who was very partial to Bush Republicans....either way you have to know with 100% certainty that had you or I driven up a one way street and caused an innocent law abiding driver to crash and be brought to a hospital that we would have had the book thrown at us.
This matter needs to be investigated by the Justice Department, the state AG and the local DA. It makes NO sense!
Why didn't the victim sue?
Was there a cash deal made?
Who paid for the repairs to the motorcycle? For the hospital bill?
Where did the money come from?
Since Christie's had to be "towed from the scene" what kind of damage did it sustain? Did it hit the motorcycle? Or some other property? If the latter, what was that damage and who paid for it?
WHY did the cop use his "discretion" to fail to enforce a law so blatantly broken. Hell, not even a ticket for driving up a one way street when the evidence was 100% clear and incontrovertible!!!
Where is the ACCIDENT REPORT???!!! Why isn't it published in toto???
Was there a breathalyzer test administered or at least a cursory test to see if Christie was in command of his faculties?
And I'm sure there's a lot more unanswered question that folks with law degrees could come up with.
Thanks to by Claire Heininger and Josh Margolin for writing this story...but they've got lot's more digging to do!
One more tidbit...
State motor vehicle documents show that since 1985, Christie, 46, has racked up 25 violation points (not all at one time), has been in six accidents and was cited 13 times for moving violations, including five without points.
Can you imagine how many other times Christie has pulled this crap and gotten away with it because the cops simply let him slide with "a warning"? Cops have been known to give "professional courtesies" to their own bretheren (and their families) on the road, so imagine what kind of "discretion" was given to a sitting US Attorney?
A guy who consistently drove his car like this (and ISN'T drunk!) is obviously an aggressive self absorbed reckless/incompetent asshole; not the kind of man one would want at the helm of our state government, eh?
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