Camden, N.J. – Gov. Jon Corzine, speaking publicly for the first time since he was seriously injured in an automobile crash two weeks ago, said Thursday that he feels blessed.
Sitting in a chair next to his bed, Corzine appeared in good spirits as he posed for his first public photographs since the April 12 crash on the Garden State Parkway.
“I’m the most blessed person who ever lived,” Corzine told an Associated Press photographer in his hospital room.
Corzine did not allow a reporter to interview him. His only comment was made during a five-minute session with the photographer.
Corzine, 60, was riding in the front passenger seat without a seat belt when his sport utility vehicle, driven by a state trooper at 91 mph, crashed near Atlantic City. Aides have said Corzine is not likely to resume the duties of his job while in the hospital.
Meanwhile, a citizen filed a complaint against Corzine for failing to wear his seat belt as required by state law. A judge will review the complaint next week and decide whether to hold a hearing, which could lead to a $46 fine, said Roseanne Lugg, court administrator for Galloway Township, where the crash occurred.
Also Thursday, state Attorney General Stuart Rabner commissioned an independent panel of experts to review the state police unit that drives and protects the governor.
